A Marriage Made in Hell
by CeliaEquus
Summary: The Dark Lord has dark plans, and Hermione and Severus' marriage is just one of them. But marriage to a murderer isn't going to be as bad as Hermione originally thought. Rated for numerous sexual references.
1. Keep Going!

"Keep Going!"

Tottenham Court Road was busier than they might have wished, particularly now that they were under attack. Sure, if the people who were around had been armed with wands, it would have helped; but instead, it was Muggles whose lives were being put at risk.

With little hope in sight, Hermione did the only thing she could think to do in such a situation, i.e., being chased by Death Eaters who had probably been told to kill them.

She gave Harry her bag.

"It's got everything you'll need in it!" she shouted, trying to match his strides. "Please, you can't lose it. No matter what, keep going!"

"Hermione, you _have_ to stay with us!" Harry hollered back.

"Of course she does!" Ron said, also shouting, as they ran along, their feet clattering on the ground. "She wouldn't leave us, would you?"

Hermione shoved the two boys into an alleyway.

"It opens like a normal bag," she said, panting slightly. "You know I'm not as athletic as you are. In case anything goes wrong," two Death Eaters crept up behind them, the boys concentrating too much on what Hermione was saying to notice, "you have to remember," they suddenly grabbed her arms, dragging her backward, "to _keep going_!"

"Hermione!" the boys yelled, lunging forward, but Hermione was apparated away before she even knew what was going on herself.

How did I know this might happen? she asked herself as they arrived in a dark room.

She didn't know how long she was there. What the hell was going on? Would the boys find her? Did she really want them risking so much, so many people, just for her?

Eventually, someone opened the door, and a light shone inside, making Hermione squeeze her eyes almost shut. There was a cackle, and her blood fairly froze. That sounded like Bellatrix Lestrange.

It _was_ Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Come now, deary," she said, grabbing Hermione's arm. The girl had been disarmed immediately she had been apparated into the room. She wasn't skilled enough at wandless magic to do anything to her two captors. Now she was regretting not having tried harder.

Bellatrix pulled her down corridors, Hermione dragging her feet to try to postpone the inevitable; but madness made the Lestrange woman a lot stronger than she looked, and Hermione didn't stand a chance.

"Good work, Bella," Lord Voldemort hissed as they entered his room, and Hermione started to shake where she stood. "Come forward, child."

"Do as he says," Bellatrix warned Hermione, and she pushed her forward so violently that Hermione fell to her knees, wincing with the pain. There was laughter from all sides of the room, and Hermione swiftly turned around, reaching for her wand automatically, only to feel distressed when she realised that she was still unarmed.

"The Mudblood is confused," Voldemort said, and Hermione shuddered at the sound of his voice, tinged as it was with amusement.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, turning back to look him straight in the eyes.

"My dear, you are most fortunate," he said, wide-eyed with mock innocence. "Here you are, at Malfoy Manor," Hermione ground her teeth, "and you're worried about my motives in having you brought here? Why, just look at your surroundings. Aren't they magnificent?"

"I feel sick enough as it is," Hermione said. "I somehow don't feel like making it worse."

"Why, you little br…" Lucius Malfoy started to say, but Voldemort shot him a look, and he wisely shut up.

"You will soon be taken to your new home," he told Hermione, who still hadn't taken her eyes off him, all senses on alert.

"My new home?" she asked, trying to remember what Professor Snape had taught them about wandless and non-verbal magic. Oh, _what_ had he said?

But the thought of the former teacher made her feel sick all over again, and she realised that she wasn't paying attention to what Voldemort was saying.

"Huh?" she asked, focussing again.

"Such an inarticulate answer for someone who's supposed to be the brightest witch of her age," Voldemort taunted. The other sniggered yet again, and Hermione's jaw tightened.

"So sorry," she said sweetly, "but I wasn't really paying attention. That was my way of asking you to kindly repeat yourself."

Now the Death Eaters collectively held their breath. Hermione wondered what the collective term was for Death Eaters. A murder of Death Eaters? No, that was a murder of crows; though judging by the uniform, it would be close enough.

"You can think about collective nouns at a later time," Voldemort said, and Hermione mentally cursed herself for having forgotten that he was a Legillimens. "No. I'll just explain again. I want someone to carry on in my place after I retire from what it is I am doing. Someone who can continue with Salazar Slytherin's noble cause. And if I never retire, someone to lead from the other side of the world."

"I'll never help you, except maybe over a cliff," Hermione said, a growl in her voice, and Voldemort smiled.

"Did I forget to say that you have no choice? Dear me, how remiss. Oh well. Crucio."

Hermione refused to scream. She point-blank refused. This was only physical torture, not the emotional or psychological torture that she went through in her years before Hogwarts, being shunned by the other children for being different. After all that she had been through, _this_ she could handle.

"Now," Voldemort said, lifting the curse. "You are going to help by bearing a child for me to raise. As, due to my advancing years…"

"In other words, you're old," Hermione interrupted, and he frowned at her.

"I may not be able to—how shall I put this?—_help_ in the process," Hermione snorted, "you will marry someone of my choosing, and your first-born with him may, one day, be my heir. How would you like that?"

"Who am I supposed to be marrying?" Hermione asked, laughter clear in her voice.

"All in good time, Miss Granger," he said. "All in good time."

Hermione muttered something; but Voldemort, with his excellent hearing, chuckled when he recognised the name 'Charlie Chaplin'. She looked up in surprise, and frowned at his reaction, before looking down once again. Then she had it.

"I know!" she cried. "An _idiocy_ of Death Eaters!"

She burst into fits of laughter, holding her stomach as she laughed hysterically.

Before she could think, Voldemort grabbed her up into his arms, and apparated her away. It was with a start of surprise when she saw that they were outside the gates of Hogwarts, but was soon being pulled through the gates, up along the path.

The sky was cauldron black; the cold nipped at Hermione's arms and legs, which were still bare despite the shawl twisted around her shoulders. Death Eaters flanked her, and Voldemort's left hand gripped her arm so hard that she was sure her skin was colouring already.

"I warn you," he said, the hiss in his voice more pronounced as the breeze around them threatened to strengthen, "if you dare to warn anyone of your—or our—presence, five innocent people will die most painfully, and you shall follow after you watch them suffer. Do you understand, Miss Granger?"

Hermione nodded; when his fingernails dug into her skin, she whispered, "Yes."

"Good girl."

They crept indoors. It was holiday-time, and so late at night, that no one wandered the corridors. Not even Mrs. Norris could be heard; her usual padding paws were absent from the gloom of the dark Entrance Hall. Up the stairs, along hallways. Hermione soon realised that they seemed to be heading towards the headmaster's office, but couldn't understand why.

"What…" she began, as they stopped at the guardian gargoyle. Voldemort raised his eyebrows at her, and then looked at the gargoyle. Hermione was terrified to see that it just leapt out of the way at his look, as though frightened of him. _What_ was going on?

They reached the door to the office and it opened, again with no word from him. He politely gestured for her to precede him into the office, which she did. After all, she was unarmed, so she really _didn't_ have any choice.

With a sudden burst of anger, Hermione saw that Severus Snape sat behind the desk of the man he had so lately killed.

"_You_," she whispered quietly, fury blazing within her. Severus saw it in her eyes, and he watched her unsmilingly.

"I believe you know Severus Snape," Voldemort said, tilting his head. Hermione glared up at him, and then back down to her former teacher.

"Not as well as I thought I did," she said, and Severus looked at her warningly. "To think of all the times I _defended_ you against Harry and Ron, _all_ the times I tried so hard in class, just because so few appreciated potion-making as much as _I_ do."

There was silence for a few moments, as Severus continued to look at her, still expressionless. "Well, he's the new headmaster of Hogwarts," Voldemort said, and Hermione gasped, looking at him, "and your fiancé."

When Hermione came to, she opened her eyes to the sight of her future husband's face looking down at her, dark hair framing his face, dark eyes burning into hers. If she hadn't known better, she would have said that he looked concerned.

Future husband. Fiancé. Oh dear.

Tears crept down her face, threatening to poison her ears like the ears of King Hamlet were poisoned. She sat up, burying her face in her hands, and freely sobbed.

"Don't worry, Miss Granger," Severus said drily. "I had the exact same reaction when I was told that I had to marry you."

Voldemort and the other Death Eaters laughed at his remark, and Hermione just glared furiously at her fiancé.

"Glad to know that tearing your soul apart hasn't made a dent in your store of sarcasm," she said acerbically, and Severus' eyes flashed. He took a hold of her hand, and helped her to her feet, gentler than she would have expected, glancing at her hands while he pulled.

"Che gelida manina," he said softly, and Hermione looked at him.

Noting her look of confusion as she allowed herself to be helped up, watching her former teacher's face closely, Voldemort decided to clarify the situation.

"Severus has strict instructions not to harm you, as you must soon carry a child for my future use, _if_ I'm unable to impregnate the Pureblood girl I've chosen," he said, drawing Hermione's attention back to him.

She ripped her hands out of Severus', and asked sharply, "Which unfortunate girl were you planning to take?"

"Feeling protective, Mudblood?" Voldemort asked. "Don't worry; I do intend to _marry_ Miss Weasley before impregnating her…"

"_NO!_" Hermione shrieked, darting forward, and beating him on the chest. "You leave her alone! Oh, gods, please don't do it. Not to Ginny. Oh, please don't. I'll do it. I'll do anything. Just please don't touch her. Never… please, sir," she said, turning to Severus, and grabbing him by the shoulders. "Merlin, Professor Snape, don't let him hurt her. Don't let him near her. She's only a child; she's… please. Leave her _out_ of this." Her heart broke as she fell once again to the floor; this time, her hands trailing down Severus' chest, and then his legs, as she sank to her knees. She clutched at the edges of his robes, sobs wracking her whole body.

"Please us, and she may yet be spared," Voldemort said, cocking his head to the other side as he watched Severus squat down, shaking Hermione's shoulders slightly to try and calm her down.

"All right," Hermione said, weeping. "All right." In her distress, she gripped the nearest person to her, which just happened to be her fiancé. She wrapped her arms around his waist, tears smearing her entire face and staining their clothes as she held tight. With an uncomfortable look and a shrug to the Dark Lord, Severus put his arms around her shoulders, patting her on the back.

"Calm down, Granger," he said firmly. Voldemort smirked.

"Sign this," he said, thrusting a piece of parchment to Hermione, and holding out a Self-Inking Quill in the other hand. She signed where he indicated, blinded by her tears, before burying her face back into the shoulder of Severus' black cloak.

"You shall not tell anyone why you have married him," Voldemort continued, before handing the quill to the headmaster, who then signed the parchment as well. Hermione felt a tingling on her finger, and glanced at her left hand briefly. She looked again as she realised what she had seen: a ring had appeared on her ring finger.

"Oh…" she said, and she looked at Severus, who held up his own left hand. Sure enough, he bore a matching ring. Both rings moved in place, fluctuating on their fingers, and Hermione examined hers curiously, numb from shock.

"They will stop moving once the marriage has been… consummated," the Dark Lord said, another smirk twitching at the edges of his thin lips. The other Death Eaters laughed, until Severus shot them such a severe look that they clammed up, suddenly very afraid. Hermione almost laughed at that, but she stopped when she realised the severity of her situation.

"But…" and she looked wide-eyed at Severus, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"I expect to see a _still_ ring when next we meet again, Severus," Voldemort said, sweeping out of the room. "And you, Mrs. Snape. Have fun tonight!"

Risking a collective snigger, the others followed him out, leaving the newlyweds behind.

"How… how did this happen?" Hermione asked, standing shakily. Severus had to hold her under the elbows to stop her from falling.

"You unwisely signed a parchment without reading it," Severus said, leading her out of the room, "after swearing to the Dark Lord himself that you'd do anything he said to spare the virtue of your precious Ginny Weasley. Now, to bed, wife," he continued, leading her into his quarters, and pulling her to his bedroom.

"Yes, Severus," Hermione said, not really knowing what she was saying, nor what she was doing. Her husband paused when she spoke his first name; and the cease of movement brought her back to earth with a bang. "No," she whispered hoarsely, as he opened the bedroom door, and saw the four-poster resting there, covers pulled back in readiness.

"Oh yes," he said, and he tugged her arm to bring her into the room where they had to finalise their marriage. She followed reluctantly, wondering how long it had been since she had been taken from Tottenham Court Road, wondering where the boys were, wondering whether it would hurt…

A few minutes later, their wedding rings ceased moving on their fingers.

**First of all, what do you think so far? ("Roo-bish!" I figured that since I'm writing a time-travel fic, and intend to soon start work on a Time-turner story as well, I thought I should do my own version of a marriage law story. I may yet do a more conventional one; but for the time being, this shall hopefully do.**

**When Hermione refers to Charlie Chaplin, it is because he got his last wife pregnant when he was, what? 60? 70? 80? 116? And when Severus says "Che gelida manina", he is referring to the famous tenor aria from **_**La Bohéme**_**. It means "Your tiny hands are frozen". Beautiful song; it comes before "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" ("My name is Mimi"), which is **_**also**_** a beautiful song.**

**In fact… we're at the opening night of **_**La Boheme**_** at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. Tonight. Woo hoo!**

**Enough from me. Read and review, dear reader/s.**


	2. Encounters and Revelations

"Encounters and Revelations"

"Morning."

Hermione sat up in bed quickly, and then felt dizzy and had to lie down again. Severus smirked.

"Well done, wife," he said, and she glared at him.

"I have a name, you know, _husband_," she retorted.

"Yes, and I think you'll find that considering how much we used our first names last night," he said, leaning over her, "perhaps we should save our names for… those occasions. What do you think, _Hermione_?" he asked, finishing on a whisper, and she shivered.

"Uh… perhaps it would be best," she said, she bit her bottom lip, waiting for her heart to calm down. Why was he still so close?

"Well then," Severus said. "Good morning again, Miss Gr… Mrs. Snape."

"Good morning, Professor."

Severus' smirk widened. "Well, that will make for interesting… role-play, won't it?" He chuckled, and got out of bed, stretching. Hermione watched him, having flashbacks to the night before, and thinking that maybe marriage wouldn't be so bad after all.

Hang on. This was Dumbledore's murderer. This was the teacher who never ceased to torment her, or her friends. This was the spy who betrayed the Order of the Phoenix.

She shot out of bed, suddenly feeling very dirty after the night before. Severus looked at her with interest as she bolted into the bathroom, before he heard the sob. Realising what was wrong, he followed her in there, and saw her standing in front of the sink, clutching onto the sides, her body shaking as she sobbed.

"Calm down, Granger," he said, forgetting that the name no longer applied. He held onto her shoulders, and started to rub them. "It'll all be fine. I've been told not to hurt you."

"That doesn't extend to my friends though, does it?" Hermione asked, turning around, the tears having stained her face and made her eyes red. "Be honest."

"Of course it doesn't," Severus said. "Really, where _have_ you left your brains, girl? They should just be grateful that you're safe. The Dark Lord…"

"Your _master_," Hermione said, her voice strained with anger.

"…wants you unharmed," he finished. "You're the one Muggleborn he wants to be kept safe, which is partly why he's placed you in my care. I'll actually follow those orders."

"But…" She stopped. She couldn't continue. Shutting her eyes, she turned away again, and Severus dropped his hands reluctantly.

"If…" he said. She turned her head slightly to hear him better. He sighed. "_If_ your friends somehow get themselves caught, I promise that I will let you know as soon as I can." Now she turned around fully, her eyes full of hope, and a small smile working its way onto her face. "I can't promise anything more than that, but…"

"Just by telling me that you'll let me know," Hermione said, putting her hands on his shoulders and holding his gaze, "you've made me feel so much better. _Thank_ you, Severus." With that, she flung her arms around him, and whispered her thanks again into his shoulder. Very much aware of the fact that they were both still naked, she quickly drew back, flushed. When she looked at him again, she saw that he was smiling. It was a real smile. A genuine smile. From Severus Snape. And it was all because of her. That made her… happy.

Hermione felt herself smiling in return, and then shivered. The cold was catching up with her, and Severus summoned a red bathrobe to her. When she looked at it questioningly, he explained.

"We were too busy last night for me to explain, but we already bought some things for you, to make you feel a bit more at home here," he said, helping her into the robe. "This includes the dressing gown, and some other clothes. Formal ones, as well. Being married to me makes you as good as… well, good enough to attend the parties that the Malfoys throw, for example, which is probably the best you can be. They're wizarding royalty, after all."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione said, tying the rope tightly around her waist. Severus summoned his own green dressing gown, and put it on as well. He waved her out the door back into their bedroom.

"Once you're dressed," he said, "we'll go down to the Great Hall for breakfast. You've got an hour. Will that be enough?"

"Plenty of time," Hermione said. "No classes to prepare for, after all."

"Very well, then," Severus replied. He showed her where the clothes were; and once she had showered and donned a pair of nice robes, he went to adjust them, but they already fit well.

"How did you get my measurements?" she asked, curious.

"Madame Malkins," Severus replied shortly, though he had just based them on what he had observed over the years. He too was surprised how well the clothes fit, and just put it down to his good observational skills. Being a spy for almost two decades would do that to anyone, he supposed.

"Well, shall I head down there now?" Hermione asked, turning around as she watched herself in a full-length mirror. Severus' rooms were done in green and gold, but he had added things in other colours, too, mainly red and blue. The blue was similar to the colour of the gown she wore for the Yule Ball; her favourite colour. The red was, presumably, to remind her of Gryffindor.

"You can if you like," Severus said, waving her off. "I still need to get ready. I trust you know the way," he added with a small smile. Hermione smiled back.

"I think I can find the way," she said.

"You might want to read this before you go," he said, handing her a document. She looked down at it, confused. Then she read the title.

"The marriage contract," she said.

"The marriage contract," Severus repeated, nodding.

* * *

Along the way to the Great Hall alone, she almost burst into tears when she saw someone who was very dear to her. It was Professor McGonagall, walking towards the Great Hall. It was too much for Hermione, who let out a small cry. Minerva whipped around, wand out, and was startled to see her favourite pupil.

"Her… Hermione?" she asked, tears coming to her eyes. Hermione just nodded, and then ran into the older woman's arms, her own tears pouring down as she was enveloped in a motherly hug.

"Oh, Professor!" she exclaimed, shaking slightly as everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours came crashing down on her. The wedding, the escape, the kidnapping, the marriage, the…

"What are you _doing_ here?" Minerva asked, taking Hermione's face in her hands. "My dear, you look like you've seen a ghost. What's happened?"

"I'm… I'm…" Hermione said, and she just held up her hand. "I guess I've shared the same wedding day as Bill and Fleur." She laughed hollowly. "Not that it was a proper wedding," she continued, as Minerva looked horrified, holding onto Hermione's hand like it might break. "You-Know-Who arranged it, after all."

"Oh, my dear," she whispered.

"It was just a matter of signing a magical contract, but it's just as powerful as any kind of bonding ceremony," Hermione said.

"Who… who is it?"

There was a pause.

"I've married… I've married P-professor S-snape."

Minerva looked stunned. Then shocked. Then upset. Finally, furious.

"I'll kill him," she murmured, but Hermione grabbed her arm.

"No, Professor!" she fairly shouted. "Gods, no. The marriage contract… it said that any pain I feel, he will feel. And any pain he feels, I'll feel. I don't know what would happen if one of us died. I hate to think."

"My dear, _why_ did you marry him?" Minerva asked, anxious about the horrible turn of events.

Hermione tried to tell her about Voldemort's plan to marry and impregnate Ginny Weasley; but as soon as she tried, her throat closed up, and she stopped breathing.

What's happening to me? she thought in a panic, ready to faint, but then she remembered what Voldemort had said when she was signing the parchment the night before. She wasn't to tell anyone about it. So this was the price? Her throat closing up? How… clichéd, actually. She almost laughed.

"Lord V-volde… um, _he_ made us do it," Hermione said. "It's some sick, twisted game of his. He wants to raise an heir, but…" Again, her throat constricted, and Minerva grasped her shoulders.

"My dear, you can't breathe," she said, worried, but Hermione waved her hand.

"It's just… it's a very emotional time for me right now," she said. "I'm fine, Professor."

"Hermione!" The two women turned around at the shout, to see Severus bolting down the stairs three at a time, outer coat not yet buttoned up, hair not brushed, boots not done up properly.

"S-severus?" Hermione said, looking him up and down.

"What happened?" he asked, panting heavily. "Your throat…"

"I just… it was nothing," Hermione said. "I'm sorry to have made you worry."

"You… just be careful," he said, slowing his breathing. Then he noticed Minerva standing there, glaring at him, but slightly confused by his behaviour. With a wave of his wand, the coat was buttoned, and the shoes done up properly. He hadn't yet noticed his hair.

"Minerva," he said coldly. "Glad to see my wife again?"

"Severus, how… how _could_ you? She's only a child," Minerva said, saddened and disappointed.

"I'm… I'm technically of age, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said, fossicking around in her bag and drawing out a comb. "What with the Time Turner sort of, well, _aging_ me. And he didn't have any choice, either. Please, don't be angry. It won't do anyone any good. And I'm safe. Really I am. For his own reasons, You-Know-Who doesn't want me harmed."

"I'd better go in ahead of you and tell the others," Minerva said, and she wandered into the Great Hall, dazed by all the morning's revelations.

"Why did you defend me?" Severus asked once they were alone, and she bent his head down to comb his hair. She waited until she was done before answering.

"Because contractually, and… well, because we're husband and wife," Hermione said wearily, putting the comb away. "It's my duty to defend you. And I've got so used to it over the years, defending you against Harry and Ron, that I guess it's just stuck."

"Oh."

They heard an uproar from the hall, and Hermione reached for her wand. To her horror, she remembered that she didn't have it anymore. Seeing her distress, Severus placed his arm around her waist, and drew out his wand instead.

"I'll get yours back for you if it's still intact, and not tampered with," he murmured.

"Well, at least I won't be starting any classes again," she said, and she gave a hollow laugh. "How can I do subjects like Transfiguration and Charms without a wand?"

"Do you want to resume your classes?" Severus asked, arching an eyebrow. Hermione nodded, tensing when she heard footsteps coming towards the door, and shrinking into his side. "Then I promise to ask about that, too," he said, and she looked up at him in surprise.

That was how Minerva found them: Severus holding onto Hermione, gazing into each other's eyes, his wand out protectively. The sound of shouting behind the Transfiguration professor brought them back to earth, and they looked at her. While Hermione would have pulled away, Severus kept a hold of her, his eyebrow going even higher, daring Minerva to say anything.

"She's unarmed," he said, and her eyes widened.

"I see," she said, and she frowned at him.

"It happened when I was kidnapped," Hermione said. "He wasn't even there. How are they?" she added, nodding in the direction of the teachers, who were poking their heads around to try and see the newlyweds.

"Be prepared, Severus," Minerva said, and she moved aside to let them forward.

The teachers surged forward to offer their sympathy, and for a frightening moment, Hermione thought that she was being attacked. She moved closer yet again to Severus, wide-eyed with fear, and Minerva placed a hand on her shoulder. Severus shot her a possessive look, and she removed it immediately, startled.

"Oh, you poor thing," Professor Trelawney said, and Hermione was surprised. "Being forced into marriage. Ah, I did see it in your hands when you were in my class, but I never dreamed that it would take this form."

"Th-thank you," Hermione said, more than a little disconcerted. She received many other votes of sympathy from the other teachers. But they seemed two teachers short. Of course, there was the usual absent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, but who else was…?

"I'm afraid that we've got a new Muggle Studies teacher," Minerva said, noting Hermione's look around, before she was swept up into Hagrid's arms.

"What happened to…?"

"Dead," Hagrid told her, and he wiped away a tear. "Ah, but I'm glad ter see you, Hermione. It'll be jes' like ol' times, won' it?"

"Well, not quite, but close enough," Hermione said, also wiping away a tear.

"I'll tell you who the new teachers are over breakfast," Severus said, loudly enough for everyone else to hear. "Meanwhile, you'll sit next to me."

Hermione nodded, and let herself be led to the seat next to Professor Dumbledore's old chair. Severus politely held out her chair for her, and she sat down with a small smile of thanks to him. The rest of the staff quietly took their seats, still confused over everything, and particularly Severus' behaviour towards Hermione. He was being… gentle.

She suppressed her own emotions at seeing Dumbledore's murderer sitting in his place, and instead tucked into breakfast. He told her who the two new teachers were, and she lost it.

"What?" she shrieked, and everyone looked around. Severus rolled his eyes.

"On the Dark Lord's orders, Mrs. Snape," he said, and then he glared at the others, who hastily returned to their meals, continuing to shoot glances their way.

"But… but… they're _Death Eaters_."

"There have been Death Eaters on staff here before," he replied sarcastically.

"Yes, but you're… well…" Hermione trailed off, and instead downed her goblet of pumpkin juice, nearly choking on it. Severus clapped her on the back, and then rubbed the spot gently, while filling the goblet with water.

"Here," he said softly, handing it to her. He briefly wondered if marriage was making him go soft… though, reflecting on last night's events, which carried over midnight, there was one area that was most definitely not soft. He smirked at the thought, quickly covering it with his own goblet of juice, just in case the others got the wrong idea.

Once she was calm again, Hermione set her goblet down, and thanked her husband for giving her the water.

"Don't forget, wife," he said. "You feel pain, I feel pain."

"And vice versa," she said. "How marvellous."

"Yes; isn't it?" he said, glancing around at the other staff members, glad that they had clearly been made aware of that. "And I'll get your wand back for you, Hermione. If I can get it back for you, I will. I promise."

**

* * *

**

Aw. They're falling for each other already, or are they? Sappy, I know. But I just couldn't help the words from flowing out of me. I have a bad habit of allowing that to happen.


	3. School Resumes

"School Resumes"

There was a great tension in the air when Hermione met the Carrows. Fortunately, with threats from both Lord Voldemort and from Severus—they weren't sure which were the more frightening—they were all kindness to her. At least, false kindness. Hermione could read (well, hear) between the lines to find the hostility that they felt towards her, presumably at being the Dark Lord's Chosen One.

However, she felt quite a bit safer ever since Severus had managed to get her wand back for her. He had personally checked it to make sure that it hadn't been tampered with, and Hermione had even met with Mr. Ollivander, the kidnapped wand-maker, who was brought to a secret meeting place so that they could meet, and so that he could confirm to Hermione herself that it was indeed safe. After that, he was taken away, goodness knows where.

It was the day before school was due to resume. The papers had already been notified about the marriage between Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Princess, best friend of Harry Potter, and member of the Golden Trio, and Severus Snape, Death Eater, headmaster of Hogwarts, and Albus Dumbledore's murderer. It was certainly different for Hermione to be shown in a positive light by the press.

The result was that she got a lot of sympathy mail, which was blocked, and Severus got a lot more hate mail than usual, which was also blocked. If parents had been worried about sending their children to a school run by a Death Eater before, they were downright terrified now that the headmaster had married a student.

Yes, that's right. Hermione Granger was to do her seventh year.

As it turns out, part of the reason that she had been chosen to mother the Dark Lord's heir was because of her brains and her powers. Being the brightest witch of her age had been part of her downfall, it seemed. So, naturally, Voldemort wanted her to continue her studies; and as her husband wouldn't actually be teaching her, he wouldn't be able to influence her grades, even if he was headmaster.

It was going to be an interesting year.

On that day, the morning of the day that the students would arrive, Hermione was sitting, as usual, next to her husband. The Carrows were sitting next to her, and the Female One (as Hermione called her in her head), asked her about her sex life.

"What did you say?" she asked quietly; the rest of the staff, having heard the question, sat there in shocked silence, and Severus froze in spot, furious.

"Come on, Mrs. Snape," she replied, elbowing Hermione, who glared at her coldly. "What's it actually like? Does the grease on his hair act as a lubricant?" She and her brother sniggered.

"What do you expect me to say?" Hermione asked coolly, gripping Severus' arm to restrain him from hexing them.

"Well, is he a tiger? A rabbit? A mouse?" the Male One asked, and Hermione unclenched her teeth. She stirred her porridge, and looked thoughtful.

"I'd have to compare the sex to… a horse," she finally said. The teachers, who had known her the past six years, continued to stare at her in horrified astonishment.

"A horse?" the Female One asked.

"As in 'hung like a'," Hermione said, and Severus spat out the juice he was drinking. His wife glanced at him, and then looked back to the Carrows, and smiled sweetly at them.

"Thank you, dearest," Severus said, quickly regaining his composure, drinking the water that Hermione poured for him as he had done for her their first morning together. "How very kind."

"I'm just being truthful. So; how do you like your sausage, Mr. Carrow?" Hermione asked the Male One politely, and he dropped his fork, completely losing his appetite.

And my work here is done, Mrs. Snape thought, eating her porridge composedly. While some of the older teachers remained shocked, they all privately approved of her handling of the Carrows, even if they _really_ wished that they hadn't heard… well, what they'd heard, and especially from the girl who, until her wedding night, had been so innocent.

* * *

Hermione went down to the station with Hagrid to greet the new students, eager to see Neville, Ginny, and Luna again, not to mention the people from Dumbledore's Army. It was painful to be there without Harry and Ron, but they had more important work to do. She just hoped that they would be successful, and that the whole bloody war could be over and done with, Voldemort dead, and…

And then what?

"I jes' though' I'd say," Hagrid said, and he cleared his throat while Hermione looked up at him, "tha' I though' yer did well with the Carrows today. I mean, we really didn' need ter know…"

"I know, and I'm sorry, Hagrid," Hermione said, frowning to herself. "I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't stand them insulting him; and they were so rude to be talking about such things at breakfast time. I just… I just lost it. I really _am_ sorry."

"It's all right," the half-giant replied amiably. "Look; `ere they come now!"

Jolts of excitement shot through Hermione's system as she looked down at the Hogwarts Express pulling in. Students were soon pouring out, and she saw three in particular streak towards her as soon as they had their luggage. Tears came to her eyes, and she ran down to meet them.

"Oh, thank Merlin you're here," she kept saying to her three friends, the ones she had looked forward to seeing the most. "Thank Merlin you're here."

"We'll look after you, Hermione," Ginny said fiercely. "We won't let him hurt you, we promise."

"Of course," she said, realising why they were being so protective. "They didn't mention it in any of the papers, did they? Well, here's a scoop for the Quibbler, Luna," she said. "See you back at school, Hagrid," she said, giving him a hug before he went down the hill to the first years. She placed an arm around each of the girls after giving Neville an extra hug. "Severus isn't allowed to hurt me; You-Know-Who's orders."

"Really?" Luna asked, pulling out a piece of parchment and taking the peacock feather quill out from behind her ear. "Why not?"

"Because… I have to…" and then she faltered. "Actually, I can't tell you that; not for _The Quibbler_. That's something you have to keep to yourselves. Severus said that…"

"'Severus'?" Neville asked sharply.

"Hey, sometimes I slip back into calling him 'Professor' or 'Sir'," she said, shrugging, "but we're married. I kind of have to use his first name. But at least I'm going back to classes. Anyway, as I was saying, Severus said that I can have you three around for tea on Saturday. I'll tell you all that I can then. But he can't hurt me. And he wouldn't. I know that he wouldn't hurt me."

"He killed Dumbledore," Neville said, gritting his teeth.

"Yes," Hermione said softly, hanging her head, her pace slowing. "And it's times like those when I wish I was dead. So I try not to think about that. Funnily enough, a magically binding contract is unbreakable. So we're stuck together for life. But it's not all bad."

"It's not all bad?" Ginny repeated, stopping. She took Hermione's shoulders. "Wake up, Hermione! He's the greasy bat of the dungeons."

"Believe me, he's not greasy," Hermione said, continuing to walk to the carriages, the others jogging to keep up. "I've had enough showers with him to know." She grinned at them as they looked horribly disgusted, clearly believing her.

"Gross!" Ginny squealed.

"Too much information!" Neville said, putting his hands over his ears.

"We all lead such interesting lives, don't we?" Luna said, linking arms with Hermione, as they all walked on to the private carriage that Severus had arranged for them, laughing as they went.

Disillusioned, Severus stood by the carriages. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but as Hermione was laughing, he didn't care. She had certain bouts of depression, and even if they were laughing at him, as long as she was happy, he really didn't care.

He was even glad that she was back at Hogwarts. It was where she belonged, as much as he belonged there. Hogwarts wouldn't have been the same without her. Classes wouldn't have been the same. If he had still been teaching this year, he would have missed having one decent student in the class who could answer any question perfectly; he would have missed seeing the brown, bushy hair in amongst the Gryffindors while he kept an eye on Potter and Weasley. Not that they were at Hogwarts that year, but he still would have looked.

Let's be honest. He would have just missed her.

With a sigh, he swept back up to the school, still invisible to the students, missing the confused look that Hermione sent his way, sensing that he had been there, but unsure why she couldn't see him, or why indeed he would have been there at all.

* * *

Classes felt so right to Hermione. Much as she would have preferred to be helping her friends find and destroy the horcruxes—after all, she was living a life of luxury in comparison—it felt as though she was meant to be there, be at Hogwarts.

But there was something wrong with her. It was just less than a month since school had started, and she found a healer's textbook that Severus had in his vast library. She did a pregnancy test, and it came up positive.

"My… my baby," she murmured, running her hand gently over her stomach in awe and fear. What if Voldemort took it away as soon as it was born?

Just then, she felt pain shoot through her body, and the greater bout of fear she felt sent her running to the infirmary.

* * *

Lord Voldemort was bored. That was it. That was his only excuse. Severus just happened to be there, at the right angle for casting a spell, so he did.

"Crucio," he said in a lazy tone, and Severus fell to the ground, gritting his teeth to stop any screams from escaping. Then it hit him. How might Hermione feel?

"You have to stop," he whispered hoarsely, and everyone in the room froze, holding their breath.

* * *

"I'm… I'm pregnant," Hermione gasped to Madame Pomfrey. "I think there's… something wrong. With the baby."

Madame Pomfrey cast some tests, and gave Hermione a Pain Relief Potion.

"It isn't formed enough yet to give you any pregnancy pains," the healer told her, and Hermione sighed in relief. But then she remembered. Severus was at a Death Eater meeting. What if the Dark Lord was torturing him?

"Oh gods," she whispered, clutching her stomach. The potion wasn't helping at all; it was sympathy pain. "Send a patronus to Severus. Right now. Tell him that I'm in pain, and in the hospital wing. Tell him I need him. Don't tell him I'm pregnant. I'll do that myself."

* * *

As soon as the patronus had told them what was going on, it occurred to Voldemort what he had done, in torturing Severus.

"How fortunate you are, Sseveruss," he hissed. "I cannot afford for Mrs. Ssnape to be in pain, which means that _you_ cannot be in pain. You shall be here for meetings, but you are excused from any revels or other ssituationss where you may be hurt. Go to your wife."

Thanking Merlin and as many other people as he could think of, Severus nodded, stood, and then flooed to the headmaster's office. Once there, he ran faster than he had ever run in his life to the infirmary.

"Gods, Hermione," he said, panting as he ran to her bedside. "I'm so sorry. He was just bored… I can't believe it… just out of boredom. You had to… I'm so, so sorry."

"Severus," Hermione said, tears in her eyes as she held out her hand to her husband. He took it, looking at her anxiously. Madame Pomfrey watched the whole thing, astounded.

"What is it? Has it hurt you badly?" he asked, feeling anger and fright burn inside him at once.

"I'm pregnant, Severus," she whispered, and she felt his hand tighten.

"You're… you're pregnant," he said, his voice strange. Madame Pomfrey went on the alert, her hand moving slowly in the direction of her wand.

"Yes," Hermione said, her own voice barely there as she sank back into the pillows, slightly worried herself.

"I'm… I'm going to be a father," he said, his tone changing to one of awe. His face lit up as it dawned on him. "We're going to be parents. I'm going to be… I'm going to be a _father_!"

Before anyone knew what was going on, he had swept Hermione up into his arms, his eyes shining as he beamed at her. He had never been so happy. "I'm going to be a father! We're going to have a child!"

"We are, aren't we?" Hermione asked, suddenly amused as she realised what this meant. "You're… you're going to have sympathy pains."

"As long as I don't have a sympathetic pregnancy, we'll be all right," he said, his voice muffled as he buried his lips in her hair. "Pregnant. You clever girl, Mrs. Snape."

"It doesn't take brains," she said, smirking at him. He smirked back.

"But you know what? I've been excused from participating in any of the revels, and other dangerous 'exercises', as they endanger you as much as they endanger me."

"That's wonderful!" Hermione said.

"Yes…" Severus said, but then they realised that this wasn't just their child. This child was supposed to be raised by Voldemort. Of course, he may just make an exception if…

"What's the baby's sex?" they both asked Madame Pomfrey at the same time, and were startled to realise that they must have been thinking the same thing.

"I'll just check," she said, and after doing some tests, she concluded that it was a girl. They breathed a sigh of relief.

"Maybe…" Hermione began.

"Yes," Severus said quickly. "We can hope, anyway."

Madame Pomfrey wasn't quite sure what was going on, and knew that she wouldn't get an answer right now.

"Do you want to let people know straight away?" she asked.

"We have to let him know," Hermione whispered to Severus, who nodded.

"You tell Minerva over dinner, and I'll send him an owl," he said, and she nodded back. "Oh, and what about your parents? Do they know about…?"

"No," Hermione said, hanging her head. "No, they don't know. And I can't tell them."

"Why not?"

"I'll… I'll explain later," she replied. "Go and write your letter. I'll get ready for dinner."

_

* * *

_

Master,

_Mrs. Snape has discovered that she is pregnant. It's a girl._

_Sincerely,_

_S Snape._

He didn't need to write "What now?" The Dark Lord would know what he meant; and, with a miracle, perhaps he wouldn't want to train a girl as much as he would a boy. Now that he could be at Hogwarts more often, he would be able to stay with, and look after, his wife and their child. He didn't want such happiness to be snatched away from him soon.

In fact, ever.

**

* * *

**

So things are progressing nicely. Do you think that Tommyboy should let them keep the baby to themselves, as it's a girl, and just wait for a boy to come along? Or do you think that they should be prepared to just raise her, and then stand back and watch her be turned into a monster?

**Tee hee hee… Tommyboy… I'm evil, aren't I?**


	4. So Now That You're Pregnant

"So Now That You're Pregnant…"

Before dinner, Hermione told her three friends that she was pregnant, wanting them to know before Severus informed the staff, and then the school. Wizarding pregnancies were safer than Muggle pregnancies, so there was no 'safe point' that they had to wait for before telling anyone. They still awaited a reply from Voldemort, though he would certainly know by now.

Severus stood in his place, signalling for quiet. It took a lot longer for students to respond to him, except the Slytherins, because the other houses were still so cut up over Dumbledore's murder that they were defiant towards the new headmaster. Once they were settled down, however, he spoke.

"Clearly, I have an announcement to make," he said, his very tone bored. Hermione chuckled at the sarcastic remark, but shut up when he glanced down at her. "My wife, Hermione Snape, is pregnant; and as such, you will treat her with the utmost care. If I hear anything about _any_ of you causing her grief, physically or emotionally, you will _all_ suffer the consequences. Thank you."

He sat down, his voice having been loud enough for them all to hear, but quiet enough to instil fear in them. Even Hermione was nervous now, and swallowed. Severus looked at her, and gave her a small smile.

"Was that all right?" he asked.

"Brilliant," she said, feeling the tears come to her eyes. She frowned. "Damn pregnancy hormones! Great. Now _anything_ that anyone says will probably put me in tears, no matter how innocuous. That'll make things difficult."

"Use your level-headed judgement," Severus advised her, brushing the hair back from her face with one hand and offering her a handkerchief with the other. She smiled weakly at him, and dabbed her eyes with the material.

"Thank you, Severus," she said. "This is going to be a fun nine months for you, isn't it?"

"Delightful," he said, thinking about his future daughter, just as Minerva asked Professor Flitwick what he thought about the roast that evening. "It's delightful."

"It's delicious," Flitwick replied.

Hermione burst out laughing, causing everyone at the staff table, and half the students, to look at her. She quietened down when she saw their stares, and went back to eating her soup.

"Hermione?" Severus asked. "Why did you laugh?"

"It's just a song, dear," she said, still giggling. "It's by Cole Porter, called "Delovely". It goes…" And then she promptly began to sing. "It's delightful, it's delicious, it's delovely!"

"Yes; thank you," he said, and she stuck her tongue out at him before she drank some more pumpkin juice.

* * *

That evening, Severus was summoned yet again by the Dark Lord, but by owl instead, as the pain that the Dark Mark would cause Severus would also hurt his wife. And, by default, their baby.

While he was out, Hermione felt depressed and lonely. It was past curfew by now, so she couldn't invite any of her younger friends to visit her. She did all of her homework; but because of her position as a student, she couldn't invite over any of the teachers without Severus there. So she decided to wander to the headmaster's office, and await her husband's return.

She saw a curtain behind his desk, which she had been too busy to notice, and which had never been opened in her presence before. Suddenly, it dawned on her.

"Professor," she whispered, her voice a mere breath, as she approached the curtain which, she was sure, covered the former headmaster's portrait. It was logical. He had to be there somewhere, so why not behind a curtain, where his murdered couldn't see him? She pulled back the curtain, and burst into tears to see that she was right.

"Oh, Professor," she said, sobbing as she sat in Severus' seat, covering her face with her hands. She looked up to see Dumbledore smiling down at her sympathetically.

"There, there, Miss Gra… sorry, Mrs. Snape," he said kindly. That set off another wave of tears. "Oh. I'm sorry, child. I'd offer you some lemon drops, but… well…"

"I'm so sorry, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said, her eyes wide as she stood up to see him better. "I am so, _so_ sorry. So very sorry. I should never have married him."

"My dear, I know why you did it, and I know why _he_ did it," Dumbledore said, looking anxiously at her.

"You-Know-Who?"

"No, child. Severus."

"Why… why did he do it?" Hermione asked desperately.

"Well, to protect you _and_ Miss Weasley," he said. "You're too important to this cause to be lost, and too intelligent a witch to give to just _anyone_. You and Severus are two of the most intelligent people I've ever met; any children of yours will be highly intelligent, too, which is a most tempting prospect for Tom. That was one of the many arguments Severus used to win the right to marry you. After all, there was quite a bit of competition."

"Competition? To marry me? And Professor Snape _wanted_ to?" Hermione asked incredulously. "Professor, are you _sure_?"

"My dear, they had the meeting right here," he said. "He and Tom. Oh, by the way. I'm glad that you're not saying his name."

"Why not?" Hermione said, ashamed but also puzzled. "I feel like I'm failing you by not saying it, but…"

"Mrs. Snape, it's taboo," Dumbledore said, shaking his head sadly. "Since Harry is the most likely person to use it, the Death Eaters can find whoever uses the name straightaway, just in case it's Harry. It's their way of locating him."

"Why didn't Severus tell me this?" Hermione asked wildly, grabbing at her hair. "Oh, Merlin. They don't know, do they?"

"I hope they do, but they may not," Dumbledore said.

"And I can't get a message to them; nobody can without risking them being found," she continued, sitting down again. "I hope, I hope, I hope they find out somehow. And not the hard way."

"Me too," he replied. They sat there in silence for some time, before Hermione spoke.

"I really am sorry, Professor," she said. "He murdered you, and yet I married him. And it's… it's not too bad. He's gentle with me, but then he has to be. Did he tell you about the marriage contract? What it says?"

"Oh yes," he said. "I know all about it. They drew it up in this office. Any of the provisos that work in your favour, or at least not too badly against you, were insisted upon by Severus. He wanted to be able to feel your pain, and used logic to point out the importance of it."

"Why does he keep defending me?" she murmured, not really expecting an answer.

"Because it's his _duty_," Dumbledore said, looking at her significantly. Hermione looked up, and it dawned on her.

"Just how much has he told you about our marriage?" she asked sharply.

"He only muses to me about the times when you defend him in any way," Dumbledore reassured her, wide-eyed. "Nothing… nothing personal, believe me. I really wouldn't want to know, anyway."

"He killed you, and I gave myself to him," Hermione said, her voice soft again. "I wed a Death Eater, a traitor to the cause. Gods, what have I _done_, Professor?"

"The right thing," Dumbledore said. "And he's no murderer."

"But he…" Hermione began, confused. "You're… you're dead, aren't you?"

"I was dying from the injury to my hand all through your sixth year," Dumbledore said, holding up his hand in the portrait. "Not even Madame Pomfrey knew. Because Severus was able to contain it where it was, giving me enough time to see the year through, they all just assumed that it was a freak accident. Then Katie Bell survived that other curse, and, in a way, it reassured them that I wasn't dying, since she turned out fine in the end."

"You didn't tell anyone?" she whispered.

"I couldn't, dear," he said. "Draco Malfoy had already been ordered to kill me, and Severus took an oath saying that he'd do it if necessary, so that Draco's soul would stay intact. Severus' soul, after all, was torn apart years ago. Now that he's bound to you, your purity has healed it. He's whole again. In fact, it's all rather romantic."

Hermione snorted. Romance and Severus Snape? No, it wasn't romantic. It was just… magic.

"My dear, I cannot use Legillimancy on you anymore, as I'm merely paint on a canvas," Dumbledore reminded her gently, and she looked up at him.

"It's not romantic, Professor," she said.

"I suppose not," he replied. "After all… well…"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "And… hang on. He's been on our side all along."

"Yes."

"He really was a spy."

"Yes.

"He was following your orders, was he?"

"I asked him to kill me when the time came, yes. He _did_ take an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy, after all; and if he hadn't fulfilled it, then he would have died, remaining useless."

"How _dare_ you suggest that he could ever be useless!" Hermione said furiously, jumping up from the chair. "After all that he's done, after all that he's been through! Do you know how difficult it is for him? Everyone on staff hates him for killing you, most of the students hate him even more, even _I_ hated him when you died. He was probably punished for doing what Malfoy was supposed to do, and you sit there and imply that he's only useful alive."

"It's true…"

"But he's not just an object that you can _use_," Hermione insisted, ready to pull the portrait off the wall and throw it into the fire, ready to throw something particularly sharp at him.

"I've always thought of Severus as the son I never had," Dumbledore said quietly, ashamed of the way he was going about things. "Hermione, please. You must understand."

"Explain it to me, and then perhaps I will," she said, sitting down yet again, crossing her arms petulantly. "Well, go on, then!"

"You watch your tone, young lady," Phineas Nigellus said from his portrait on the wall.

"Shut it, you," Hermione said, not turning her eyes away from the former headmaster. "Now spill, _Professor_."

Dumbledore sighed, and proceeded to tell her about Severus' school days. She listened as he explained about how he had been in love with Lily Evans, later Potter, and how he had repeatedly begged her forgiveness after the 'Mudblood' incident. Hermione gripped the arms of the chair throughout, letting the hormone-induced tears fall down at the sad narrative, and feeling jealous because her husband loved another woman.

He explained how Severus had always protected Harry in case Voldemort returned to power, making him swear by the memory of Lily; how painful it was for Severus to see _her_ eyes in _Potter's _face. She heard about the betrayal of the Potters, and Severus' life as a spy from that moment; all that he had suffered.

And he still loved her. That was evident by his doe patronus.

"So, he… he always loved her, and always… always will," Hermione said, choking back a sob.

"Well, it's a good thing I arrived here alone, otherwise there's be some explaining to do," a voice said, and Hermione swivelled around in the chair to see her husband standing at the fireplace, having just flooed back from the Death Eater meeting.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Severus," Hermione said, shaking in her seat as she looked at his dark eyes, as they raked over her. "I was just lonely, that's all. And Professor Dumbledore was explaining about… about everything."

"Yes; so I realise," he said, stalking over to the portrait. Just as Dumbledore started to apologise, Severus tugged the cord, closing the curtain over the painting. He looked down at Hermione, arms crossed across his chest, waiting for her to look up at him. When she did, he saw with a start that she looked heartbroken, and began to feel her pain himself. So it wasn't just physical pain that they shared, it seemed.

"I'm sorry that I never realised…" she began, but he interrupted her.

"You weren't supposed to be burdened with this," he said. "It's dangerous. I don't know how soon he'll want to see you, but you haven't learnt Occlumency, have you? I daren't erase your memory; he'll probably notice."

"What do I do?" she asked.

He paused. "Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes."

"Then come with me. We have training to do."

* * *

Severus was never more grateful for Hermione's ability to learn quickly. He had never seen anyone like her, never seen anything like it, in his life. She was either an incredibly quick learner, or a natural Occlumens. He suspected that it was a bit of both.

"Legillimens," he said once again, looking into her memories. She blocked him effectively from seeing the ones she didn't want him to see, the ones that were too painful for her, and instead showed him her favourite memory; finding out that she was pregnant. It was her favourite, at least, until the part where she felt the pain of Voldemort's torture. Severus hated that part, too.

"It won't happen again," he whispered, lifting her face up so that he could look her in the eyes. She looked at him with such trust that, for once, he felt like he was no longer doing this for Lily, or to protect another young redhead; he was doing it to protect his own brunette, his own wife. And to protect their unborn child, his own daughter.

Voldemort wasn't going to win this war. Severus wasn't about to let go, now that he was finally finding happiness.

**

* * *

**

Oh Merlin,

_**is**_** this getting too sappy? I hope not… and yet I hope that it's still a **_**little**_** sweet. At any rate, let me know what you think. Any negative reviews: could you please put them gently? Not couched in a way that's more personal attack, but more like constructive criticism:**

**Stuff like "You're writing sucks, and you should give up" will be ignored. Something like "They're too OOC" or "It's unrealistic" may be taken on board. However, things like "Maybe if you did **_**this**_** [insert sensible and/or realistic suggestion] the story might be improved"… that would be a whole lot better, and I'll be more inclined to take your suggestions. I try to improve based on your reviews, so they're very welcome.**

**Cheers, folks!**


	5. A Strange and Unusual Visitor

"A Strange and Unusual Visitor"

Hermione had quite forgotten to explain about her parents to Severus. Things had been so busy that it had slipped her mind. It was now the time to tell him; so she explained all about erasing their memories, and sending them to Australia. She had no idea where they would be by now.

"Calm down, darling," he whispered, stroking her back as she cried into his shoulder. When they realised what he had called her, they both went still, and then pretended not to have noticed it, all the while thinking about it furiously.

Late one evening, they were preparing to go to bed, discussing names. Apparently there were baby name books in the wizarding world, too, so they were considering picking one up. The child would have the middle name 'Hermione', as was traditional. But they needed a first name that would go with it, and with the last name as well.

Severus left the room to go and brush his teeth, using special methods that Hermione had suggested from her research, not to mention her dentistry background. She had found a very effective approach to teeth-cleaning, and decided to get her husband to trial it as well, as part of the 'experiment'. It was going marvellously; she just didn't know quite what to do with the results yet.

While he was in the bathroom, she finished pulling down the covers of the bed. Just then, something silvery entered the room, and she looked up in surprise to see a patronus she knew very well. It was Ron's patronus.

"It's a message from Harry and Ron!" she called to Severus, who gurgled in reply. She giggled, and turned to the patronus.

"It'll be all right, `Mione," the patronus started, speaking in Ron's voice. "We'll get you out of there as soon as we've got rid of the horcruxes. Don't let Snape touch you." Her face darkened, and she raised an eyebrow. Severus froze in place as he listened. "The miserable bastard will get what's coming to him, don't you worry about that. We'll find a way to break whatever bonding ritual was used. Just _don't let him touch you_. That only makes it harder to break off. Maybe we can kill him, the greasy bat."

Hermione bristled at this rude tirade against her Severus. Huh. She was thinking of him as her Severus. Well, he was, wasn't he? They were married; magically bonded. And she didn't appreciate the disparaging comments being made.

"Harry agrees with me; this isn't what Dumbledore would have wanted, and we'll kill Snape if we have to."

"That's _Professor_ Snape, Ronald," she whispered menacingly. Severus poked his head out of the bathroom, having finished attending to his teeth, and watched what was going on with great curiosity.

"He'll pay for what he's done, the great coward. Don't you worry, `Mione. We've got you covered."

The patronus stopped speaking, and Hermione held up a hand to stop it from leaving.

"Take a message back to them," she said, her voice quiet and controlled. Severus had almost leapt out of the bathroom when Weasley's patronus had called him a coward, but now he was more interested to hear what Hermione had to say.

Gods. She wouldn't tell them that he really _was_ on their side… would she? Surely she wouldn't endanger them and their child so? But he needn't have worried.

"Ronald and Harry," she said, making sure that the patronus was listening. "I don't ever want to hear anything said against my husband again. Repeat that. _Never_ again. You cannot break the contract; and if you hurt him, you will hurt me too. Literally. So don't you dare try anything. If you know what's good for you… _leave him alone_. If either of you harm him, or let him come to harm, I'll tear you both a new one. Got it? Now stop wasting time worrying about me when I'm perfectly safe at Hogwarts. Concentrate on fulfilling your mission. Oh, and by the way? I'm pregnant."

After her speech, she nodded to the patronus, which happily leapt out through the wall. She turned around, and saw Severus standing in the bathroom doorway, looking at her with a strange intensity. Feeling very warm, she walked up to him, and waited for him to move aside so that she could go in and brush her teeth.

He reluctantly moved aside so that she could enter, but looked behind him before closing the door to give her privacy. He went to the bed, and lay down as he waited for her to finish.

When she finally re-emerged, she tottered over towards the bed. He could tell that something was wrong, and knew instinctively that she really had been affected by the message that her two idiot friends had sent.

She reached the bed, and collapsed onto it, bursting into tears. Severus moved like lightning, and pulled her into his arms. He pulled the covers over them as she snuggled into his arms, weeping.

"Why? Why did they have to do it? You were right; they should just be grateful that I'm safe. Merlin, they don't even seem to care…"

"Well, that's where I think you're wrong," Severus said quietly, stroking her back as she clung to his waist, shaking with emotion. "I think they really do care; why else would they risk their lives by contacting you? You could have been anywhere. With anyone; someone like the Carrows, or even the Dark Lord."

"I've been with you most of today; in fact, when you left the room, that was the first time I'd been alone since yesterday… yesterday afternoon, I think. It may have been waiting until I was alone."

"Shows that they have some brains, doesn't it?"

"Did you ever think that Ronald Weasley could actually produce a patronus like that?"

"I think it's a miracle he could cast any kind of spell so advanced, quite frankly."

Hermione giggled at the disparaging remark, and then started to sob again. Severus was so—could it be 'upset'?—by this that he started to kiss her. It was only on her forehead at first, and only a little kiss. But then he began to place more kisses, on her eyelids, which were screwed up with tears, on her cheeks, her nose. He covered her face, kissing away her tears, continuing to stroke her back as she cuddled him.

Eventually, Hermione realised what he was doing, and looked up into his eyes just as he had kissed her nose again. They kept eye contact for a few good minutes before she moved her arms up around his shoulders, and pulled him close.

How did I get to be so lucky that _this_ was who I was forced to marry? she thought, clinging tightly. He moved his arms around her waist, and pulled her backwards, lying down, still holding her to his body. He began to kiss her lightly again, only this time he concentrated on her lips.

"Hermione," he finally said, tearing his lips away from hers, which had only just begun to respond to his. "I was wondering if…"

"Yes, Severus?" she asked, her voice breathy, and her cheeks flushed.

"The Order of the Phoenix… they don't trust me anymore. But they might still trust you."

"Go on," Hermione said, seeing where this was leading.

"If I gave you certain… information… could you give it to them? Act as a go-between for me?"

"Yes."

"It's a very… important… decision." He paused, having slowed down. "You just said 'yes'."

"Yes."

"…Why?"

"Because we need this war to end," Hermione said, leaning over her husband, moving her hands to rest on his chest. "Severus, I know you don't want them to know that you're still on their side, and that you were only doing what Professor Dumbledore told you to do. They're not all practised in Occlumency, and we can't risk it. I don't want to lose you, and I don't want to lose this baby of ours, whatever we name her. You're both important to me, part of who I am, who I will become."

Severus blinked. He was important to her?

"I'll do anything to keep us safe," she continued. "This is important, and I'll do it for you because you need me to, and because I feel useless just sitting here, safe, while my friends are out risking their lives to bring about an end to this war."

He saddened. She was risking her life by doing this. She was risking their baby. She was risking so much. But then, he could hardly talk. He was a spy, and everything that he did could put them all at risk. Besides; his wife was a Gryffindor; and as such, she wouldn't back down from a fight like this. Yes; she would do it, and do it admirably. If her lesson—singular, not plural—in Occlumency was anything to go by, not to mention her years at Hogwarts in general, she would pick it up very quickly, and would be as careful as he always was.

"All right, dear one," he murmured. And then, as a reward for being such a brave wife, he took her into his arms, and taught her some more about the art of love-making… another thing which, thank Merlin, she picked up very quickly, too.

**

* * *

**

Yes; I apologise for the numerous sexual references in this story. It's supposed to be darker than some of my other fan fics, so I guess it's allowed. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and didn't feel that Ron's tirade was too stilted. I had fewer troubles with Hermione's message, I do confess.


	6. Being a Spy

"Being a Spy"

This spying game was going to be tougher than Hermione thought. For one thing, she wasn't even sure if the Order of the Phoenix would trust any information she gave them, as she _was_ married to their former spy, who they certainly no longer trusted. As it was, who was she supposed to approach about becoming a spy?

"Who do you think?" Severus asked as they talked about it the next morning while getting dressed. "Surely Minerva is the most obvious choice."

"True," Hermione said. "Pregnancy is dimming my intelligence, clearly."

"Clearly."

"Hey!"

"Well, you said it, dearest."

Hermione hmphed at that, before trying to run a comb through her hair, which was extremely messy after their fun last night. "At least she's at the school, too."

"Indeed," Severus said, stretching. He usually woke early to do some exercises in the rooms, as he didn't dare train outside the castle. He still did stretches before going to breakfast, as he needed his muscles to be in top physical condition. Hermione entirely approved of this, and enjoyed watching him quite a bit.

"I'll talk to her about it this evening, after dinner," she said. "Will you accompany me there so I don't get detention, Professor?"

He smirked at her cheeky grin. "Well, I'd have to insist that you serve detention with me, wife. Of course, if you have no objections…"

"We've got to leave for breakfast in a few minutes, and already you're trying to seduce me straight back to bed," Hermione said.

"Well, that's not what I was suggesting; but, as headmaster, I can make a few exceptions about who has to go to breakfast." By this time, he was holding her waist, and starting to draw off her blouse. She smacked his hands back to his sides.

"Wait until tonight, you animal," she said, and she flounced to the door, turning around in her school girl outfit. "Coming, Severus?"

"Robe," he said shortly, pointing at her robe which was still on her hanger. She winked at him, and then pulled it on, followed by her book bag. He was clearly afraid that if he said much more, he _would_ have to drag her back to bed, and exert his authority as headmaster. She didn't have any problem with that.

* * *

That evening came sooner than expected. Hermione still had no idea about how to approach the matter of being a spy. Severus had warned her not to say anything about his true loyalties, as it would endanger them both, though he allowed her the concession of saying something only if it became absolutely necessary. She was to use her judgement, in other words.

The Transfiguration professor gladly let her favourite student into her study, and sat her down with a cup of tea.

"Shortbread, my dear?" she asked, offering Hermione a tin. As Hermione had cravings for biscuits with her pregnancy, she eagerly took two, not daring herself to be so rude as to ask for more, even though she knew her teacher would be generous enough to let her.

"Thank you, Professor," she said, sitting back in the armchair. "I just wanted to have a talk with you. Something I can't really talk to anyone else about."

"Oh, my dear," Minerva said, touching a hand to her chest. "I'm flattered, naturally. Is it to do with the pregnancy? Or… your husband? You must be so upset over this whole business; and at such a young age, too. But at least you're being allowed to continue your studies here."

"Yes," Hermione said, starting to tear up already. "Severus was so kind to get permission like that."

"He knows intelligence when he sees it," Minerva said, and she sniffed. "He knows better than to let it go to waste." Clearly she wasn't about to allow any concessions where Hermione's husband was concerned. This was going to be interesting. "But enough about that. Tell me what's been happening, whether the baby's kicked. What are you doing about…"

By the time Hermione left, she had shed quite a number of tears, been comforted by Minerva for much of the time, and the rest was spent in discussing motherhood, although the older woman had never experienced it herself. It was a very interesting, thorough discussion nonetheless, and took up quite awhile. Hermione flooed back to the headmaster's rooms as agreed, feeling fulfilled… and yet empty.

Never had they touched on the subject of spying. There just hadn't been a point where Hermione could work it into the conversation.

She was a failure.

* * *

When Severus arrived back from the Death Eater's meeting that had been called, he was looking quite pale. He found Hermione sitting in a chair by the fire, miserable, dried tear tracks on her cheeks. Forgetting his own problems, he immediately knelt by her armchair, and held her hand. When Hermione looked down to see him kneeling there, holding her hand, just as she had always wanted to be proposed to, it brought on a fresh burst of tears, and Severus had to comfort her for some time before she could calm down and tell him what had happened.

"…in short, I failed," she said at the end of her explanation. Daring to look him in the eyes, she saw that he bore absolutely no expression. "I'm sorry, Severus."

"Think, woman; think," he said. She was confused.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean, you've told me what you talked about this evening; now tell me what you learned. Remember, a spy has to take advantage of everything that they can for their side."

"What is there to take advantage of?" she asked.

"First and foremost, how did Minerva behave towards you? Second, what did you talk about? Third, what were her reactions to everything that you said? Lastly, how did she respond? Tell me."

"Well," she said, reverting to student mode and thinking as clearly as she could, while going back over what she had learnt. "She was _quite_ open; she still held back at the beginning, but once I started to cry, she just melted. Uh, secondly, we talked about the baby, and being a mother, even if she doesn't have any experience there. Her reactions were… well, almost over the top, like she was trying to make up for something outside of her control: our marriage." Severus winced, but Hermione didn't see it. "Last of all… her reactions and responses were pretty much the same."

"Not quite," Severus said. "Reactions are physical; responses are verbal. Make the distinction, and try again."

"Okay," Hermione said, not noticing his brusque tone. "She never looked truly happy, even when I assured her that I was perfectly fine, and perfectly happy with you. Sometimes she looked sceptical, sometimes supportive. Her responses… she was, as I said, over the top. Overcompensating, really. A bit like Mrs. Weasley."

"That's fine, then," Severus said, relaxing slightly. She was perfectly happy with him. That was good, wasn't it? "So tell me how you can use her sympathetic nature towards you to your advantage. She was willing to listen to your troubles, correct?"

"Not that I have any real troubles, but yes," Hermione said, nodding.

"Make up some troubles, then," Severus said, leaning back fully, and placing his hands behind his head as he looked straight at her. "Open up to her; tell her everything that's going wrong in your life, and then slip into the conversation whatever information I may give you. Just pretend to be emotional, and pretend not to notice that you're giving away anything. Then we'll see what happens. If all else fails, tell her that you want to be a spy; be direct."

"All right, Severus," Hermione said, standing up and walking over to him. She sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. He held her as she snuggled against him. "You're so good at solving my problems."

"I have to be, considering that I'm the cause of most, if not all, of them," he mumbled into her hair.

"No, you're not. I just wish that I could re-start the DA; you know, Dumbledore's Army?" she said, whispering into his chest. "Oh, I'm sorry! I never found out from you how things went tonight. Well… how _did_ they go?"

"There's going to be a raid on a Muggle teenager's party," he said. "A sixteenth birthday party."

"I had my sixteenth birthday at Hogwarts," she admitted. "It seems so long ago."

"It wasn't that long ago," he said. "You've only just celebrated your seventeenth recently, and even then you're physically older because of the Time Turner."

"That's why we were able to marry, probably," Hermione said, and she yawned. While Severus would have lifted her up and put her to bed, she just wriggled in closer to his chest, completely unaware of how her little movements were affecting him.

"Anyway, there were still some Muggle girls left around from a raid a few months ago; not long before we were married, actually. They looked… I hadn't seen them since the raid, and they looked so… different. It was horrible. I just hope that they're killed sometime soon, so that they'll be away from there." He shuddered, going paler than normal again. Hermione squeezed her arms tighter around him, whimpering in sympathy, and placing a kiss on his neck.

"It's all right, Severus," she murmured. "I'm still here. I won't leave you. I promise."

"Thank you, Hermione. Perhaps you could tell Minerva about the party?"

"I will. Somehow, I will."

* * *

There was one week left before the party. Hermione went to Minerva's study that evening, accompanied by Severus first, who wanted to give her a goodbye kiss before leaving for another Death Eater meeting. Once he was out of sight around a corridor, she knocked, and Minerva invited her in.

They began to chat again. Eventually, Hermione decided that it was time to start an emotional rant. She began with Harry and Ron, and the patronus that they had the hide to send to her. Imagine upsetting her so while she was pregnant!

"I miss the days when we were all together at Hogwarts," she wept, Minerva's arms around her shoulders. "The Christmases, the Easters, the birthdays… I had my sweet sixteenth here, you know. And Severus was my first kiss, the night we were married. I didn't even get a kiss for my sweet sixteenth. Oh, that poor Muggle girl. To think that Death Eaters will be invading _her_ party. I didn't have that problem."

Minerva's ears perked up—figuratively, of course—at the mention of the Death Eaters. Hermione was so emotional. How could she find out more?

"What poor Muggle girl?" she asked casually.

"Oh, her name is Cassie Perks," Hermione said, sniffing. "Merlin help her. It's only a week from today. She… she could be dead a week from today! I wish Harry and Ron were here, really. We could celebrate more birthdays together. But then, that patronus was so horrible, I don't care if I _never_ see them again…"

Minerva knew that she was just being emotional—as if Hermione Granger could ever say such a thing about her best friends!—so she tuned out, just murmuring comforting words while she considered the information she had just received, inadvertently of course.

I hope I wasn't too obvious, Hermione thought. She was grateful to get away soon afterwards, and waited anxiously for Severus back in his rooms. When he arrived, she voiced her concerns; but after showing him the memory in the Pensieve, he reassured her that all seemed well.

* * *

The morning after the party, there was a big headline in _The Prophet_:

"DEATH EATERS SNAGGED AT RAID".

Hermione suppressed a grin with great difficulty, and felt Severus' hand on her leg, squeezing her thigh surreptitiously. Somehow, Hermione imagined that she was going to get quite a reward for her spy work that night.

She walked through the halls after borrowing some books out of the library after dinner, intent on getting back to their rooms to receive her 'reward'. She heard voices around the corner, and recognised them as belonging to Professors McGonagall and Flitwick.

"I hate the thought that I just used her like that," Minerva said. "Really, Filius; it was quite unethical."

"We're in a war; you used the information that you got to our advantage," he said. "What if you never got another chance?"

"She didn't _mean_ to tell me, I'm sure of it," she said, and Hermione smirked. Well done, you, she thought to herself. Severus will be pleased with me.

"Minerva, don't worry," Filius told her sternly.

"She'd be perfect to get information from, if only we could," Minerva said. "But her husband would find out, and who knows what might happen?"

"He cannot hurt her," Filius reminded her. Hermione bristled at the thought that they could think Severus capable of violence towards her, ever. Why, he saved their lives in their third year, protecting them from Professor Lupin in his werewolf form.

Annoyed, she waited until they'd gone before continuing on her way, not wanting to keep Severus. She was amazed that he still wanted to make love to her when she was so pregnant. She was over three months along now, and it was nearing Christmas.

While she walked, she wondered if she should offer her services to Minerva as a spy, directly this time. The other way had worked admirably, as it turned out. But if she was to turn spy, she would have to explain how she got any information from Severus, without giving away his true loyalties. This was something she needed to discuss with him.

Perhaps it was time to have lessons in Legillimancy. It would doubtlessly be more difficult to pick up than Occlumency. Better to get started straight away, then.

* * *

"Severus?" she asked, placing her books down on the desk that he had given to her as a wedding present. "I was wondering. Could you… could you teach me Legillimancy?"

"Well, yes," he said. "Buy why?"

She explained about the conversation, and he certainly was pleased that Minerva had taken in her act.

"Clever Mrs. Snape," he said, and he kissed her gently.

"Anyway, I think that it's important, as it could explain how I get the information from you."

"Yes, that's a good idea," he said. "Let's begin… but not right now. Right now, you get a reward for your good behaviour. For your very good spy work."

"And to think… I may have only just begun," she said, and he smirked at her.

"Better and better, Mrs. Snape. Better and better."

* * *

Hermione had considered starting up Dumbledore's Army again, but Severus dissuaded her. Much as he hated the Carrows, and would love to see some secret form of rebellion against them, it was too dangerous, especially for Hermione. He had enough work cut out for him trying to arrange detentions where students couldn't be tortured, or trying to conduct them himself so he could inflict as little pain as possible while the Carrows watched.

"As it is, the Dark Lord has forbidden me from letting you have your friends around for tea anymore," he said, and Hermione looked up in horror.

"Oh, gods," she whispered. "Does he suspect me already?"

"No," he said, and he shrugged. "The Order has ways of finding out information without spies. He'll just think that they were unlucky that time. He may even cut down on the number of raids, as they're starting to create a pattern. While that's good for the order, both the pattern _and_ the cutting down, if he starts to be spontaneous, it will be more difficult to explain more interventions from the Order. We must tread carefully from now on, Hermione."

"What, we weren't treading carefully before?" she asked, smiling into her cup of tea. He chuckled.

"You know damn well what I mean," he said.

But she was increasingly despondent. Being at one with her feelings whenever they were strong enough, Severus knew that she felt utterly useless. He had had that feeling himself often enough in the past, sometimes wishing that he could take a more active role in fighting the Death Eaters, but knowing that he could only be active fighting 'for' the enemy.

So he resolved to get the DA back together… somehow.

**

* * *

So how shall he do that, hmm? Well, I've already got it worked out, so there. You'll just have to wait and see.**


	7. Those Students and Their Detentions

"Those Students and Their Detentions"

Severus found the list of the students from Dumbledore's Army among the late headmaster's effects. He checked them against the register he had been keeping of students who got recurring detentions for 'insolence', 'rebellion', and 'insubordination'.

They were all on the list. Every single, last one of them. In fact, the lists matched almost perfectly, the only names missing from the detention list being those of the Golden Trio, and the students who had either been scratched off the list or who had left Hogwarts in the past couple of years. How had his Hermione kept track of them all?

_His_ Hermione? Huh. That actually sounded rather nice.

So how do I use this to my advantage? he wondered silently, leaning back in his chair in the headmaster's office. I'll ask Hermione about how she contacted them all first. There are students from other houses on this list.

"Hermione, dear?" he asked that night at dinner, while the other staff members talked amongst themselves.

"Yes, Severus?" she replied, looking at him, her eyes shining at the term of endearment.

"You know that club you were talking about the other day?" he asked her carefully, glancing in the direction of the Carrows, relieved to see that they were at the other end of the table, and not paying attention to them. "The one you were thinking of reforming?"

"Ye-es," she said, wondering why he was talking about the DA.

"How often did you send owls to them?"

"Oh, I didn't send owls. I used… I used a variation of the Protean Charm on some galleons; leprechaun galleons, you understand."

"Yes, I understand."

"Well, perhaps if I explain later?"

"If you want to waste perfectly good 'sleeping' time doing that, well then…"

"You brought it up," Hermione whispered to him.

"Then you can bring it up again later," he murmured into her ear, and she blushed so furiously that she was sure that she could melt any iceberg within a five mile radius.

"Severus, you shouldn't say things like that…"

"I meant the topic, you dirty little Gryffindor," he said, feigning shock, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Sure you did, love," she muttered. "Sure you did."

Did she call me 'love'? Severus thought, surprised.

Hermione was awfully glad that she was already blushing, when she finally realised what she had said.

* * *

The next morning, during classes, Severus went around the school collecting old ink bottles. He amassed quite a number of them, shrinking them all and putting them into an old bag that he carried around with him. There were trick ink wells that Mr. Filch had confiscated as well, along with normal ones which had been used in pranks. Severus recognised some of them as having been used against him by the Marauders, and took those as well, just so that he could practise destructive curses on them later.

He had enough to distribute one to each member of Dumbledore's Army five times over, he was pleased to see when he got back to his office once he was done. Choosing one base one for each 'soldier', he cast Staining Charms on each, marking them so that only he could see which ones they were. The rest he just stained naturally, so that they could be cleaned off, unlike the other ones.

"I want these students to have a mass detention with me, to clean the ink bottles I have collected," he told the teachers at the next staff meeting. "They've had far too many detentions, and I think that if they were all together in the one room, with me as their supervising teacher, they may think again about misbehaving."

There was an uproar from most of the teachers, even though they were secretly relieved that it was only ink bottles being cleaned, and not the torture that the Carrows bestowed on the students in _their_ detentions. That was, of course, assuming that that's _all_ that would be going on…

"Hermione?" Severus asked that night as they got into bed. "I want you to assist me in supervising a detention. It will be quite a large one, but to your benefit."

"Mm-hmm?" she said, snuggling closer to him for warmth. "Who's going to be in this detention?"

Severus wordlessly handed her the list for Dumbledore's Army, and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Sans those names that I have marked, this is who will be in attendance," he said drily, and she looked up at him, teary-eyed.

"Really?" she asked, moving even closer to him.

"Well, they're the only students who keep getting detentions over and over, so it seemed right to punish them all together the one time, and hope that it never has to be repeated," he said. "They'll be cleaning stubborn stains off ink bottles. I thought that as it's a tamer detention than usual, that you might like to be there."

"Of _course_ I would," she said. "I mean, I get to spend more time with you then, don't I?"

"That's hardly the point…"

"I know, Severus; I know," she whispered, holding him tightly, her head against his chest, feeling his heart pound.

"I was hoping that you could show me how to do your variation on the Protean Charm, and use the lids of some of the bottles in your demonstration. You could even demonstrate during the detention… you know, something like "DA starting again", or something else… innocuous." The tears on Hermione's cheeks kept flowing down quickly, and she rubbed her cheek against his chest, continuing to gaze up in wonder at her husband.

"I suppose I could do it while they're cleaning those particular ink bottles, couldn't I? If I timed it well enough."

"Well, I may have decided to make things more difficult for them by putting Staining Charms on some of the bottles… you know, one for each student. Just to keep them busy, stuck on them until the end of detention."

"Yes, I do see, Severus. How very evil of you."

"So very evil."

"…Want to show me just how evil?" Hermione wiggled her eyebrows at Severus, who smirked back.

"You're on, Mrs. Snape. Thank you for bringing it up again."

* * *

"A mass detention? With Snape?"

"That's _Professor_ Snape, Neville," Hermione hissed to him. They were in Herbology at the moment, so it was safe to whisper. Professor Sprout was more likely to hand out detentions to Slytherins, and was very tolerant to everyone else.

"It's still typical," he said. "And you have to check our wands at the door?"

"You can't use them during detention," she replied. "He's worried that you all might try to gang up on him. Remember, when he's in pain…"

"You're in pain," Neville finished. "I know, Hermione. You don't have to keep saying it."

"But I see it in your eyes," she replied sadly. "You want to kill him."

"Yes. But I'd rather keep you alive, quite frankly. And I won't be party to child-murder, either."

"Thank you, Neville," Hermione said, tearing up. "Bloody hormones."

* * *

"Damn you, Severus Snape!"

Severus was getting dressed the next morning. He was used to this 'conversation' by now: Hermione would throw up, curse him (verbally, not physically, thank Merlin), throw up some more, blame him and then the Dark Lord for her predicament, and curse in general. Then he'd help her get ready after she had a cry. She refused to take any medicines to combat the morning sickness, as it was just part of the process, and she was worried about anything going wrong. Everyone reacted differently to potions, and she wasn't about to risk their child.

When it came to that, neither was he. Her main problem was that he only felt her pain, and therefore didn't get morning sickness at the same time as her.

That night was the detention, and he still fretted. Gryffindors in particular were known for their rashness; and as there was a high concentration of them going to be in the detention, he worried.

Hermione did confiscate all of their wands, giving each of them an apologetic look as she did so, and handed them to Severus. He put them in a drawer, warding it from any wandless magic. Hermione was armed, as was he.

Politely, Severus pulled out the chair from the desk as he always did. They were in a disused classroom for the detention, which looked as though it could easily be used for potions. The desks were tall, with stools. All of the students in detention sat behind boxes which contained ink bottles for them to clean, and the things they were to use to clean them.

"You will not leave until they are all cleaned, without magic," Severus told them, standing in front of the desk, blocking his wife.

"How can we use magic without wands anyway?" Ginny asked, and Severus glared at her.

Ungrateful chit, he thought unfairly. Hermione was having nearly the exact same thought, and gripped the arms of the chair where she sat.

If only she knew, she thought. Oh, Ginny, be careful.

"Have you not heard of wandless magic, Miss Weasley?" Severus said to Ginny, arching an eyebrow. She glowered back at him. "Like brother, like sister, it seems."

"Severus," Hermione murmured warningly. "Leave it."

"Yes, dear," he said through clenched teeth. "Begin!" he barked at the 'class', and they began cleaning, grumbling away. "And silence, from all of you. Just be grateful that this is _all_ you're doing in this detention. I've heard about some of your _other_ detentions. I need these ink bottles cleaned, and cleaned _now_. Get on with it!"

No grumbling this time. Most of them felt slightly less irritated when they realised that he was, indeed, right. And then, when they thought that, they felt angry again, annoyed that they were thinking that he was right.

Severus wandered around. The students managed to get through most of their ink bottles, though he sometimes told them that they 'missed a spot'. His supercilious expression, and arched eyebrow at the looks shot at him, made Hermione want to burst out laughing; but she kept quiet, trying to keep her face straight.

Suddenly, he made his way back to the desk, and she looked up at him. He nodded, ever so slightly, and she pulled out her wand under the desk, holding her own ink bottle lid in her hand, as he paced in front, keeping an eye on the students, and walking down between the desks again. She immediately put on the agreed message: "DA to reform".

Soon, she had a response. Her friends, the 'soldiers' of Dumbledore's Army, began to look up at her as she kept her eyes on Severus as much as possible, as though watching to make sure that he didn't see what she had done. She shook her head at them eventually, as if to say 'don't let him see you', and they returned to trying to clean the stains off the bottles.

When they were all looking down, Severus walked in front of Hermione's desk again, and winked at her so that only she could see.

But someone else _did_ see.

What neither of them had noticed was the mirror behind the desk. At that moment, Neville had looked up, and saw the mirror. More to the point, he saw the headmaster wink at his young wife. Once he had passed, Neville looked at Hermione, who was looking at her husband with adoration on her face.

What's going on? he thought. Has Hermione gone native? She can't have. Of all the people in the world, not Hermione. Oh, Merlin, she can't be on his side. This can't all be a set-up… can it?

"Continue!" Severus shouted at them, and they all doubled their efforts at cleaning the ink bottles. Hermione suppressed another smile, and looked up at her husband again. She just knew that he was doing this all for her, not for the war effort. Only for her.

How do I get him out of here? she suddenly wondered. She needed to talk to them alone, without Severus around, so that she could tell them how to remove the charms from the bottles, and then tell them to keep the bottles so that she could contact them properly about re-starting Dumbledore's Army. Well, it would have to be renamed, or at least should be.

But first she had to get Severus out of there.

Fortunately for her, he already had it figured out, and was at that moment creeping up behind her while she thought furiously. He was smirking at her, and a few students looked up. Before they could warn her, she sensed him behind the chair, and looked around.

"Come here, wife," he said, and he swept her into his arms. She let out a laugh before she could stop herself, and clung on so that he couldn't drop her. "Put away the ink bottles in the open cabinet when you're done," he told everyone else, not taking his eyes off Hermione. He swept out of the room with her still in his arms.

"Go back and remind them to keep the bottles," he whispered once they were outside and the door was shut. He placed her on the ground. "I'll escape temporarily. You know what to do. Oh, and tell them how to remove the charms. I'm not totally heartless, after all."

"You're _wonderful_," Hermione said, kissing him on the nose.

"Out after curfew?" he suddenly shouted, and she jumped. He mouthed an apology to her, and ran into the shadows, shouting at fictional students while he made the sound of feet running into the distance. She took that chance to dart back into the classroom.

"He's chasing students," she said, closing the door behind her. "I haven't got long; he may come back soon. Keep the bottles. I want to get the DA back together."

"Hermione, are you all right?" Colin Creevey asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," she said. "There's a Staining Charm on them. Just remove the spell using Finite Incantatem. That should work."

"Hermione?" they all heard Severus call.

"Here," she whispered, opening the drawer magically so that they could retrieve their wands. She opened the door, and tried to look guilty.

"What were you doing?" he asked sharply, raising an eyebrow.

"I had to get their wands back for them," she said, looking at her feet.

"Good girl, Mrs. Snape," he said, drawing her forward. "Close the door after you," he said to the students, looking up at them. "Bottles away when you're done. Good night. Now, where were we?" he asked Hermione, and he picked her up in his arms once again.

"Good night!" she called to her gobsmacked friends as Severus strode off with her into the darkness.

* * *

They got back to the headmaster's quarters in good time. Severus placed Hermione on the floor of their bedroom so that she could get ready for bed, having carried her all the way through Hogwarts. Any people they had encountered had looked at them oddly; fortunately they didn't include any Slytherins or the Carrows.

"We've done it," Hermione whispered to Severus as they stood there, smiling at each other. "We've taken the first step in reforming the DA. Oh, Severus. Thank you!" She threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, I love you so much. Thank you." Then she froze where she was.

"W-what?" Severus asked, his voice so quiet that she could barely hear it.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Severus," she replied, and a tear trickled down her cheek. He brushed it away tenderly.

"You love me," he stated, and she nodded, risking a look up at him.

Before she could move, breathe, or even think, he was kissing her, and kissing her passionately. She responded instantly, and they continued to kiss even after they fell onto the bed.

"I love you, too," he finally whispered, after they broke for air. "I'm so glad you love me back. No one ever has. I was so afraid…"

"You're no coward, Severus Snape," she said, stroking back his hair from his eyes. "And I love you so much for your bravery. You're the bravest man I know, and ever will know." More tears flowed down her cheeks, but they both knew that it wasn't pregnancy hormones. Well, not all of it.

"What the…" he suddenly said, and Hermione knew why he reacted like that. She had felt the kick, too.

"Maybe that's what she was waiting for," she whispered.

"Clever baby girl," Severus said. "Clever clogs."

"Clever Clara."

"Claire."

"Clarissa."

"Connie."

"…Cassilda," they both said at the same time, having both liked that name when they saw it in the baby book.

"Cassilda Hermione Snape," Severus whispered to his baby girl, stroking Hermione's round belly as he said it. She placed her hand over his.

"Cassilda Hermione Snape," she said as well, equally quiet. They talked to their baby girl until both of them fell asleep; still fully clothed, holding each other, happily in love.

**

* * *

Oh, that's so aw-worthy, I think. I even have 'aw' written in my notes. I just thought that it was about bloody time that they recognised their feelings for each other, **_**and**_** settled on a name.**

**Cassilda is named after the character in **_**The Gondoliers**_**, my second-favourite G&S operetta. She's the Queen of Barataria, which she doesn't find out until she's already in love with the man who works for her father, the Duke of Plaza-Toro. It's all very complicated, involving a switch at infancy, and a double-wedding, as well as one of the fastest patter songs that you'll come across in G&S, "In enterprise of martial kind".**

**By the way—could you please help with this unofficial poll I have? I've started a new time-travel story, and want suggestions for the main pairing. It will be Hermione and someone else. I've had one vote for teen-Lucius, one for teen-Remus, and one for teen-Severus.**


	8. Cover Blown

"Cover Blown"

The first meeting of the reformed Defence Association took place in the Room of Requirement; partly for old times' sake, but mainly because it had to be, of course, in secret. Once everyone was gathered around, Hermione thanked them all for being there again, especially considering the risk.

"I propose that we change the name," Hannah Abbott said. "After all, Professor Dumbledore is… well, he isn't in charge, anymore is he?" They all looked uncomfortably at Hermione. She sighed.

"What did you have in mind, then?" she asked.

"You've brought us back together," Ernie MacMillan called out. "It should be Granger's Army."

There was a chorus of agreement, but Hermione shook her head.

"My last name isn't 'Granger' anymore," she pointed out. "Snape's Army."

Now there was an uproar, and she covered her ears, calling for quiet.

"It's my last name now, remember?" she said, once they had settled down. "Not to mention that the initials sound like the word 'essay', so if you're overhead, someone could mistake it for talking about homework."

"What about Potter's Army?" Neville asked quietly. Hermione looked at him.

"Do you see Harry Potter here?" she asked icily. The room was very quiet; the students didn't like the tension that had suddenly settled. "What's your problem, Neville? Is there something wrong?"

"Have you gone over to _his_ side?" he said, crossing his arms as he looked stonily at Hermione.

In answer, she rolled up the sleeve of her left arm, showing a bare forearm. After some thought, she mirrored the action for her right arm. "I've heard some stupid questions in my time, Neville Longbottom—and Severus would say that most of them have come from you, whereas they've really come from Ron—but let's leave aside the fact that I would _never_, under any circumstances, go over to the Dark side. Consider: do you really think that _he_ would want a Muggleborn in his ranks?"

While Neville stewed over this, Colin spoke.

"Hermione," he began. "Why _did_ you marry Sn… Professor Snape?"

"Because I…" but her throat closed up again, and she clutched at her neck, trying to breathe. "I…" No. She couldn't say it. Inspiration struck. Raising her wand, she started to write words in the air.

'_I married him to s_…'

With a cry, Hermione dropped her wand and fell to the floor, clutching at her right arm as it seared. So it seemed that Voldemort had all the bases covered when it came to stopping her from telling anyone the secret.

She half-sat, half-lay on the ground, rubbing her arm as some of the students crowded around her.

"Hermione," Ginny said. "What's… can't you tell us?"

"Clearly not," Hermione said, panting slightly with the pain. "Clearly… clearly not."

"Come on," Luna said, and she and some of the others helped Hermione to her feet carefully.

The door to the room was suddenly wrenched open, and a black object almost flew through the students to Hermione. It was Severus, in a complete state.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, holding onto her tightly, but gently. "Gods, Hermione, don't _frighten_ me like that again. You said you wouldn't… I thought I was losing you. I can't lose you."

"I'm sorry, Severus…"

"I love you too much to lose you now, to lose you ever," he whispered, tears streaming down his face as he held his wife as close to him as he could. "Please, Hermione. Please don't leave me."

"I won't. I said I wouldn't." She was holding him back just as tightly. "I'm sorry, Severus; really I am. Please don't be mad at me. I can't lose you either. I thought that if I couldn't… if I couldn't say it then…"

"Just stop trying to explain," he growled. "For Merlin's sake, woman; I almost had a fit when I felt the pain in your arm. I thought he… I thought he'd found out, and was Marking you…"

"Wrong arm," she murmured, laughing quietly.

"You don't expect me to think rationally when you're in pain, do you?" he asked, now holding her away from him a little to look her in the eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you." He pulled her back into his arms, and they kissed as though it was their last time. When they broke away, he continued. "I never should have let you re-start the damned DA."

"It wasn't that… I was just trying to explain…"

"I know," he whispered, cradling her cheeks lightly. "I know."

"I do love you, you know."

"Ehem."

They looked around at Luna's cough, and were at first embarrassed, and then horrified, to see all of the students watching them, aghast. More than that, they had pretty much blown Severus' cover.

"Um," Hermione began.

"How inarticulate of you, Miss Granger," Severus said, back in teacher mode.

"S-sorry, Profess… hang on," she said.

"I am," he replied, and he gradually let go of her.

"Hermione," Ginny said calmly. "What in Merlin's name is going on here?"

"She's been working with him," Neville said, pointing to Hermione and then to Severus. "I saw him wink at her during detention, in the mirror."

"Mirror? Oh," Hermione said quietly, and Severus raised his eyebrow at her.

"'Oh' indeed, Mrs. Snape," he murmured.

"You're on _his_ side?" Hannah asked, followed by several of the other students.

"Yes, and so are the rest of you," Severus said loudly, and they all shut up. "Dumbledore told me to kill him, because he was already dying. He was also worried that the Dark Lord may suspect me to be spying for the Order of the Phoenix, and not just pretending to spy for them. Of course, they don't trust me anymore, and why should they?"

"I'm planning to start giving information to Professor McGonagall; in fact, I already have," Hermione added. "The raid on the Muggle party that was foiled? That was information that Severus gave me to pass on to Professor McGonagall. I spoke with the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, and he told me that the injury on his hand was going to kill him. So Severus killed him instead, saving Draco Malfoy's soul as well. Mrs. Malfoy made him take an Unbreakable Vow."

"But… why didn't you tell us this?" Ginny asked. "Didn't you trust us, Hermione?"

"Are you a good enough Occlumens to keep all of this from the Dark Lord?" Severus said. Ginny shook her head. "Are any of you?" They all shook their heads. He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hermione?"

"Yes," she said. "Oh, you weren't asking me if… um. Yes, Severus?"

"Any ideas?"

"How quickly could you all learn Occlumency?" she asked the students, and Severus nearly flipped.

"What?" he asked, almost shouting. "Hermione, you're a wonderful student, a quick learner. It only took one lesson with you. And you were just the one 'student'. It was impossible to train Potter…"

"You've always hated each other!" she cried, waving her arms about. "Even Professor Dumbledore admitted that it was a mistake to get you to teach him. Well, try to teach him."

"I've taught all of these students in Potions, and in Defence Against the Dark Arts," Severus told her, running his hands through his hair. "Merlin, it would take weeks, because we just don't have time."

"We could _make_ time," Hermione said. "Here, in the room. There may be a way…"

"We could try," Luna said quietly. "I'm willing to try. I find it fascinating; and if Hermione really is good enough at Occlumency…"

"She's brilliant at it," Severus said haughtily, defending his wife.

"Then she can teach some of us herself, and lighten the load for you," Luna continued, ignoring the interruption.

"Take a vow," Hermione said suddenly. "I've been trying to tell you something, and I just can't. If Severus knows the same magic that was used on me, then he can make it so that you can't tell anyone about our spy work."

"Didn't you place some sort of spell on this parchment in the first place?" Severus said, waving about the Dumbledore's Army list. "Does the work 'sneak' ring any bells?"

"Fine; I may as well give away all my secrets now," Hermione muttered, suppressing a smile.

"_All_ your sec… Wait a minute," Dennis Creevey said, and everyone looked at him. "When Neville saw Professor Snape wink at Hermione, does that mean… you were in on it? The whole time, in the detention? Making us clean those ink bottles for ages?"

"Whose idea do you think it was?" Hermione asked proudly, and she cuddled her husband. He looked down at her, raising his eyebrow yet again.

"That's another thing," Severus said. "If I'm to teach you Occlumency—and I'm not saying that I will—we'd need you to all be available at the right times. In other words, don't get yourselves into any more detentions. It would restrict the timetable."

"Yes," Hermione said. "Please stop getting into trouble. You're not helping anyone; only endangering yourselves."

"All right, Hermione," Luna said. "Now, let's take a magical vow not to tell anyone of our secret work. That is, if you're in, Professor," she said politely, looking at the headmaster, who simply nodded.

By the time they had left the room, everyone had signed a magical parchment, sealing their lips, hands, and wands from telling anyone about the spy work. As for their minds… they'd get started on protecting those soon enough.

**

* * *

**

Oh dear. I'm afraid that this chapter wasn't very good. The last one was better. Ah well. Tell me what you think. Oh, and the next chapter doesn't involve them learning Occlumency; at least not according to my plot notes, which I really am trying to follow.


	9. To Help Friends

"To Help Friends"

Several weeks passed. Hermione and Severus both worked hard to train the remaining members of Dumbledore's Army—which was now called Snape's Army—and the training slowly paid off. Most of them had nearly mastered Occlumency, and the rest of them were well on their way. Severus always worried that Hermione was working too hard, and she always worried that _he_ was working too hard.

They were patient teachers at first; Hermione's gentleness was no surprise, but Severus' was. It seemed that marriage really _had_ mellowed him. However, the reason for their 'kind' teaching was soon revealed:

It was to lull them into a false sense of security.

One night, the Snapes entered the room and suddenly started attacking their minds one by one, as the students tried to raise their mental shields. It was difficult, because of the sudden stress that they were under.

"Interesting to see how you might crack during battle," Severus said after he and Hermione had lowered their wands. He had his usual sneer on his face as he said this, but the tone of his voice wasn't as harsh as they would have expected.

"It was too easy to break into your minds, even for me," Hermione said, continuing on from her husband. "We'll be testing you much harder now, and putting you under stress so that your shields can strengthen."

"You have no choice but to cope," Severus said. "So get ready."

And they did.

* * *

Later that night, Severus took the sword of Gryffindor, and delivered it to Harry and Ron, using his Patronus as a lure. Hermione had told him everything that she knew about the horcruxes, so that they could more effectively help her friends find and destroy the Dark objects. When he returned to bed, Hermione rewarded him very effectively for his efforts, even though he told her that she shouldn't have waited up for him.

He soon forget any arguments or objections that he had. Hermione made sure of that.

* * *

She was called soon after that to meet with Lord Voldemort. Keeping her Occlumency shields up, strong as she could make them, Hermione waited for the perfect opportunity to get the information that she wanted from him. After the event with the Gryffindor sword—if you could even call it an event—she had remembered how Harry had destroyed the diary horcrux.

Chatting pleasantly with the Dark Lord, Hermione decided to use her infamous know-it-all reputation, and a good dose of flattery, as her battle plan. She brought the subject around to languages, and how difficult she had found it to try and learn French.

"Languages come more easily to some people than to others," Voldemort said, his left hand moving slowly, undulating like a snake. "I heard tell that your Mr. Potter speaks Parseltongue?" he added, looking at Hermione carefully.

"Oh, yes," she said, nodding enthusiastically. "But he's really too uncomfortable with it to teach me, even if I asked him to. I haven't come across any Parseltongue dictionaries, for that matter. Do you have any?" she asked with a grin.

Voldemort laughed lowly, surprising most of the people in the room. "No. And I'm afraid that I haven't the time to teach you, either. Not at the moment. However…"

"However?" Hermione prompted, when he had trailed off. His eyes shifted back to hers, and she strengthened her Occlumency walls.

"When the war is won, perhaps I shall teach you," he said, resting his chin on his left hand. "But it is more built into a person. It is a language as difficult to teach as it would be to learn, I'm sure."

"You wouldn't have any trouble teaching it," she said, her eyes wide, hoping that he would buy the flattery. He raised his eyebrows, and smiled, ever so slightly. Hermione repressed a shudder.

"Hmm," he mused, looking into the distance again, almost dreamy.

"For example, what would… what would Nagini's name be in Parseltongue?" she asked, and he looked at her again. He hissed something, which Hermione guessed was the answer to her question. "Is that it?"

"Yes."

"What about… 'newborn baby'?" She rubbed her belly unconsciously. Voldemort replied with a pair of hisses. Hermione tilted her head, thinking. "Uh… 'quiet as a mouse'?" Another set of hisses. "'Quidditch'?" Hiss. "'Open sesame'?" A pair of short hisses. "And what's your name in Parseltongue?"

"That can wait for another time," Voldemort said, leaning forward in amusement, and running his hand along Nagini's back, who had slithered up in front of him, her beady eyes on Hermione.

"Thank you for indulging me," Hermione said, inclining her head.

"I trust you've found Severus a satisfactory husband so far?" Voldemort asked, and Hermione glanced at her husband.

"Very satisfactory, thank you," she said, a small smile on her face.

"Alecto and Amycus were very unsavoury with their questions, I feel," he said, referring to their interrogation of Hermione's sex life with Severus. "But I was most amused with your reply."

"Serves them right," Hermione muttered, and Voldemort laughed.

"Until we meet again, Mrs. Snape," he said, and she and Severus left as quickly as they could.

* * *

Upon reviewing their memories, Hermione and Severus memorised the response that Voldemort had given to 'Open sesame', hoping that he hadn't been leading them astray by giving them a false translation.

Fortunately, he hadn't lied. Severus flew down into the Chamber of Secrets, taking the tools necessary for taking the fangs, and anything else he deemed useful, particularly for potions. After all, Basilisk body parts were a rarity; virtually impossible to find in reasonable condition, and bloody expensive to purchase.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Severus asked, knowing that any protests on his part would be in vain.

"Positive, you stubborn git," his wife replied mildly as they reached the gates of Hogwarts.

"Hold onto me, then," he said, and she gripped him around the waist as best she could with the large bump in front. They Apparated to a darkened clearing, where Hermione could sense Concealment charms, with Harry's magical signature on them. Severus had already placed a Disillusionment spell on himself, so that he wouldn't be hexed on sight by his wife's friends, ending up with her being hurt as well.

Phineas Nigellus—through the portrait that Harry and Ron were carrying, which had the link with the former headmaster's painting in Severus' office—had told them that Harry and Ron had secured Hufflepuff's cup. The Lestranges had been transporting it from one place to the other, and the two boys had ambushed them. Funnily enough, instead of being as hot-headed as Hermione would have feared, they just got the cup and left, rather than trying to fight the Death Eaters.

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione called, looking around. "It's me! Harry? Are you here? Ron? Where are you?"

"Identify yourself!"

She whipped around, hearing Harry's voice.

"We comforted each other last year while Ginny was with Dean, and Ron was with Lavender," she said calmly, keeping her voice loud. She had no idea how close, or far away, her friends might be. "I sent birds after Ron; and you caught Ginny and Dean in a secret passageway one time, which is the first time you really started to feel jealous."

"It's her," Harry said, and he removed the Invisibility Cloak. He and Ron had both been standing under it, several feet away from their friend. "What brings you here, Hermione?"

"So, you _are_ pregnant," Ron said, his voice controlled but clearly angry. Harry's expression darkened.

"Clearly, Ronald," Hermione said, putting her right hand over her stomach protectively, holding the bag carrying the fangs in her left hand. "It's good to see you two again. I'm sorry I was taken from you that day at Tottenham Court Road."

"You seemed to know that it was coming," Harry said, clenching his fists.

"Where's your wand, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously, seeing that he didn't have it on him.

"It's broken, beyond repair," he said bitterly. "My one defence against him… gone."

"Oh, _Harry_," Hermione said, tears coming to her eyes. These weren't pregnancy hormones kicking in, either. "But you're great at defensive spell work…"

"What use is that without a wand?" Ron asked, his voice louder now.

"Well…" Hermione said, trailing off. Her friends looked furious.

"You let the bat of the dungeons _touch_ you like that," Harry said, the anger in his voice getting more and more pronounced.

"I told you not to insult my husband!" Hermione said. "Look, Harry. You need it more than I do. Take… take my wand." She held it out to him, tip pointed towards her, pleading with him to take it. Severus stiffened where he stood. "It's important that you win. Take it."

"No thanks," Harry said icily. "'Sleeping with the enemy' takes on a new meaning, doesn't it, Ron?"

"Yeah," Ron agreed. It was then that Hermione noticed that he had his wand pointed at her. Sadly, she retracted her own wand, shifting uncomfortably.

"Look, it's not like that," she said quietly. "He's… we had to. We're married. And he's not as bad as you think."

"Great, now he's got her brainwashed," Ron said furiously, turning his head to Harry. "Our Hermione, married to Snape, banging him and all…"

He was thrown off his feet as Hermione sent an angry spell his way before Severus could give himself away by attacking first.

"What did I say about not insulting my Severus?" she asked dangerously. Harry's eyes widened.

"Hermione?" he asked.

"At least someone loves me," she said, the tears flowing down even stronger now. "And I love him. I know you'll never accept that, but I'm more forgiving than you are. Here. We thought you might need these for the cup." She dumped the bag down in front of Harry. "Goodbye, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley. I hope to see you on the victorious side of this war. Until then…"

She turned around, and ran back into her husband's arms. She didn't even need to wait for him to lift the Disillusionment charm. She knew where he was instinctively, and he whisked her away back to Hogwarts as her body started to shake with sobs.

**

* * *

**

Okay. I've got absolutely no notes for the chapters before the battle of Hogwarts and the trials, etc, afterwards. No notes whatsoever. Fabulous! Looks like you'll still have awhile to wait, my friends. I duly apologise for this. Meanwhile, enjoy my other stories, and the stories of other people, naturally. Ciao!


	10. Spring is Coming

"Spring is Coming"

It was February, nearly three months into Hermione's pregnancy. It was also nearly six months since Bill and Fleur's wedding; and, consequently, Hermione and Severus' marriage. By now, all the members of the SA—Snape's Army—were all 'satisfactory enough' at Occlumency. Of course, in Severus Snape Speak, 'satisfactory enough' meant that they had pretty much mastered it.

Now they could move onto learning more defensive magic like the kind they had been learning when it was Dumbledore's Army. Severus was ever more impressed by Hermione's teaching skills, and would sometimes just stand there, watching her with a small smile on his face, as she helped the other students.

"A knut for your thoughts, sir," came a low voice one night, and Severus looked down to see Neville.

"She's worth far more than any knuts," Severus said, and he returned his attention to watching his wife.

"I was asking about your thoughts, sir."

"Hermione _is_ my thoughts," the headmaster said quietly. "Dennis!" he suddenly barked, causing Neville to jump. "Wand higher, or the spell will go between your opponent's legs, and hit the person behind him. And unless that person is the enemy, there's no point…"

* * *

"Severus?" Hermione whispered to her husband one night while they lay in bed, just about to go to sleep.

"Mmm?"

"Why does Y-you-Know-Who want to marry Ginny? Was it just an empty threat?"

"Hardly," Severus replied, turning his head to look down at his wife. "Why do you want to know? Having regrets?" His lips twitched, but he really was worried about her answer.

Hermione simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's not an answer, wife," he said, a hint of a growl in his voice.

"Are you really so insecure? Or are you just fishing for compliments? You silly man, you know I love you. I have no regrets; except, perhaps, that my two best friends now hate me. But I'm doing my part for the war, and continuing my education. I'm married to someone I love more than anyone else in the world," Severus smiled, "and I'm pregnant with his baby, even if that baby may one day be trained to be a monster."

"We'll just have to make sure that that doesn't happen," her husband said. "And… I wasn't 'fishing for compliments', as you put it. I just… I'm not used to anyone actually caring about me… you know, in this way."

"The unconditional love is the strongest love," Hermione said, and she leaned up for a kiss. Severus gladly obliged her, and it was quite awhile before they tried to go to sleep again.

* * *

The Order of the Phoenix had been able to capture, and sometimes kill, a number of Death Eaters thanks to Hermione's hints, care of Severus. Minerva started to ask Hermione to afternoon tea on the weekends, or whenever they both had a free period, under the guise of giving her motherly advice.

Of course, with the Physical Empathy Spell that was placed on the Snapes when they signed the marriage contract, the Order had to make sure that whenever Severus was present at any of the raids, that he was unharmed.

The Dark Lord understood their reasons—at least, once Hermione explained them to him during one of their subsequent meetings—and was intrigued, not to mention amused, by the fact that they were protecting Dumbledore's murderer.

* * *

"Potterwatch is on, Severus!" Hermione called out one night.

"Whose name was it?" he asked, entering their bedroom, without a shirt on. Hermione forgot the question as soon as she saw him, a hungry smile making its way across her face. Severus smirked, and crossed his arms. "Well?"

"Uh… what?"

"What was the password?" he said, sitting next to her on the bed while River (Lee Jordan) finished playing a Muggle song. It was "The Witchdoctor's Song" by Alvin and the Chipmunks.

"Frank," she said, turning up the volume so they could listen, and snuggled against her husband's bare chest, his arms encircling her waist. He kissed the top of her head.

"And that was 'The Witchdoctor's Song', as sung by Voldemort hopped up on spiked butterbeer," River said, and Hermione burst out laughing. Severus raised his eyebrow, and she shut up quickly. "And now a special message for those lovebirds out there: happy six-month anniversary to Bill and Fleur Weasley!"

"Happy six-month anniversary, Severus," Hermione whispered, rubbing her cheek against his naked chest. He moaned softly in reply, and stroked one of her thighs gently.

"Also a message to Hermione Gr—er, Snape," River continued. "Congratulations on having made it through half a year, and also congratulations on your pregnancy. We think. And now to Royal, who has more enlightening tales to tell. Royal?"

"Thank you, River," the 'mystery' guest speaker said. Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice was reassuring.

"Cassilda's kicking again," Hermione said. "She must have heard her mention on the radio… such as it was."

"Hmph," Severus said, pressing his hand gently on Hermione's belly. Sure enough, he felt his daughter kicking against his hand, and he half-smirked into Hermione's hair.

"What would your Potterwatch alias be, if you were on the show?" she asked her husband.

"Something starting with 'R', am I right?"

"Yes."

"Hmm… what would you suggest?"

"Which potions start with 'R'? Or what potions ingredients?"

"Why potions?" Severus asked, frowning.

"Defensive spells, then," Hermione said. "_Any_ charms. Reparo."

"Repello," he said, sounding sulky.

"Don't be like that, Severus. I know! Rictusempra!"

"Ha-bloody-ha."

"You're not into this game, are you?"

"I'd rather be into you, quite frankly."

"Severus!" Hermione turned off the radio, since they weren't listening anyway.

"If I was on Potterwatch, I'd choose something to remind me of you," he murmured into her ear. She shivered. "Something like 'Rodolfo', from _La Bohéme_, since I referred to it on our wedding night."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "What's _La Bohéme_?"

"It's an opera," Severus replied. "The song 'Che Gelida Manina' is from it."

"That's what you said to me! When you helped me up from the floor…"

"Yes. The character Rodolfo sings it to his true love, Mimi, when they first meet."

"Oh, how romantic," she said, and she sighed, settling back into his embrace once again.

"…Don't tell anyone."

"I wouldn't dare. So what do you think my name would be?"

"Hmm… let me see." He moved the radio off the bed, and began to trace patterns on the bare parts of her skin. She shivered, and he started to pull off her pyjamas. As she lay there, bare under his gaze, he tilted his head. "Ravishing, perhaps?" He continued to caress her, and placed kisses everywhere on her.

"What a lucky wizard I am," he continued, his deep voice sending vibrations against her skin, and consequently all the way through her. "I have a lovely, young witch all to myself, and she's so… responsive. Yes. That would be your Potterwatch alias."

She could only gasp her agreement.

* * *

"Pass the marmalade, would you, Rodolfo?" Hermione asked the next morning at breakfast, and Severus nearly choked on his toast. "Gee, who's responsive now?"

"Quiet, siren," he hissed. "Here's the damn marmalade."

"Thank you, my love." But after a particularly hard look, Hermione stopped her teasing, and stuck to her breakfast.

**

* * *

**

I didn't want to end yet another chapter with fore-play, though the sexual references really don't stop, do they? I apologise. I promise, I'll progress the plot in the next chapter. Really! I will!

'**Siren' refers to a popular name for entrancing female characters in Puccini operas; for example, Musetta (also from **_**La Bohéme**_**) is referred to as a siren. It's a sort of… Veela, really.**


	11. Kidnapping

"Kidnapping"

"He's very sympathetic," Hermione told Minerva. "Of course, he has no choice; but it's a great comfort. I'm so lucky to have someone like Severus."

"Y-yes," Minerva said, and she had a sip of her tea, blowing on it slightly first.

"He was telling me the other day that he's busy on Monday night," Hermione said, and she sighed as she picked up a piece of shortbread. "I'm always so worried. Even if he's not doing any revels any more—at least, not taking an active part—he still has to be around to… well, clean up afterwards. Ugh," she added, and she sighed again. "It's in Hampshire this time." She covered her eyes with her hands, as if she was just exhausted emotionally and didn't know what she was saying.

"In Hampshire?" Minerva repeated cautiously. Something clicked in her when Hermione just nodded. "Hermione?"

"Mmm?"

"Are you telling me all this on purpose?"

Hermione pulled her hands away, and looked directly at Minerva.

"What are you suggesting, Professor McGonagall?"

"Surely you know what you've been doing?"

"W-what do you think I've been doing, Professor?"

"Hermione, I've taught you for many years," Minerva said, leaning forward. "Tell me the truth."

She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "All right. I wanted to help somehow, and sort of… well, being Severus' wife, I thought that you wouldn't think that you could possibly trust me. But 'accidentally' telling you seemed to work, after that raid on the party worked out so well, so I… continued."

"My dear, you've always been trustworthy," her teacher replied, patting Hermione's arm. "I would have trusted you."

"Would you? I wasn't sure. I'm the wife of a Death Eater."

"But _you're_ not a Death Eater," Minerva said. "You're the best friend of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. You're a Muggleborn witch, and the smartest witch of your age."

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied. "Well, here are the details… if you're sure you trust me."

"Implicitly," Minerva said, patting Hermione's arm once more before sitting back. "Now, let me write this down…"

* * *

Hampshire seemed like forever away. Hermione helped Severus pack all the usual potions that he took with him to the revels, for the purposes of helping his 'fellow' Death Eaters recover from any wounds that they may sustain. They used a sturdy little bag to hold the vials, which Severus wore close to his side.

"Be careful, Severus," Hermione said quietly. "Make sure that the members of the Order don't see you."

"I'm always careful, and even if they see me they won't harm me," her husband replied. "Why are you worried?"

"I just don't have a good feeling about this."

"You never do."

"This time… this time it's different."

"Maybe," Severus said; and holding his wife's hands, he led her to a seat and knelt in front of her, "maybe things have been going so well that you're just on edge, and simply expect something bad to happen because good things don't last forever."

"_We'll_ last forever, won't we, Severus?" Hermione asked, looking into his black eyes with her own brown ones, tears welling up already.

"What we have is so much better than 'good'," he said, squeezing her hands. "And when this war is over, and the Light has won… will you marry me? Again, I mean? So you can have the proper wedding, with the dress, the flowers, the guests, the…"

"Yes, I will marry you," she said, the tears spilling down onto her cheeks with the force of her nodding. "Merlin, Severus, of course I'll marry you… again."

* * *

It was a long wait for Hermione, longer than any other wait she had ever known. Cassilda only kicked twice, and even then it was very half-hearted. She could probably tell that her mother was upset, and wanted to reassure her that she was there without hurting her.

For the tenth time, Hermione sighed. It had been an hour. It wasn't usually as long. But then, Severus wasn't usually at a raid that was going to be interrupted by the Order of the Phoenix, so it _would_ take longer than usual, wouldn't it?

Wouldn't it?

There was a sudden pain at the back of her head, and even her back. Well, she had been feeling a bit of pain in the back recently, but she assumed that it was from the pregnancy… but this felt different.

She lay down on the bed, feeling dizzy. Moments later, she blacked out.

* * *

"It's the bloody Order again!" Crabbe Senior called out to the others. Severus shrank back into the shadows, trying not to look amused as his fellow Death Eaters were ambushed, some getting away, but most getting caught, either in ropes or in battle.

Worried about how close some of the curses were getting to him, thinking about Hermione's safety, Severus sneaked out of the room, and went into the one behind the wall he had been standing against. Keeping an eye on the battle the whole time, he didn't notice the three people standing behind him.

"Expelliarmus!" Lee Jordan cried, and Severus was flung into the opposite wall with the force of the spell. His head hurt, his back hurt, he felt dizzy. All he could think of while he passed out was how this might be affecting his wife, and hoping that she was safe.

The last thing he saw was a pair of red heads bending over him.

* * *

When she came to, Hermione wondered what was wrong. Was it something pregnancy-related? She hoped so; she hated the thought of something having happened to her husband. Of course, it would be horrible to think that he had passed out because of her own weakness, thus increasing the risk to him. But it really couldn't be helped.

Sighing, and feeling lonely, she switched on the radio, wondering how long she'd been out. Casting a spell to find out the time, she realised that it had been a good half hour.

Going through all the names of past Order members, the password turned out to be 'Lily', which clenched at Hermione's heart. But no. She wouldn't think about that. Severus loved _her_ now; she knew it, and he kept making sure that she knew it.

"We've got a special guest with us tonight, folks," River's voice said. "With me are our good friends Rapier and Red. Say 'hello', boys!"

"Hello, boys!" the Weasley twins voices said.

"Are you going to introduce us to our special guest?" River asked.

"Of course," Rapier said.

"Although he needs no introduction," Red continued.

"We'll do one anyway…"

"Because he's our enemy and yours…"

"So, using the name he's chosen…"

"We present you with…"

"Rodolfo!" they finished.

"Severus!" Hermione shrieked, jumping up.

**

* * *

**

Dun-dun-_**dun**_**! For those who think there are too many exclamation marks (it's been said that you should only use seven exclamation marks in your lifetime), may I just say that I think that to be a load of **_**rubbish**_**. Also, ellipses (the three full-stops in a row) are also just as expressive; and as a writer, I resent the thought that people make up these ridiculous rules for strange, and probably selfish, reasons.**

**Now that I've had my little rant, I'll re-read over this chapter, make any corrections necessary, and then post it. I plan for there to be only fifteen chapters, so I'll be interested to see how I manage to pan this out. Hmm…**


	12. Hermione Rescues Her Husband

"Hermione Rescues Her Husband"

She didn't know what to do. Perhaps the dizzy spell—which was now clearly from whatever had happened to Severus—was affecting her brainwaves. There was muttering in the background on the radio, and she wondered what was going on. How was she supposed to get to him? Where _was_ he?

She had very little time; Potterwatch couldn't risk being on air for too long. They may have moved on by the time she found them. What could she do?

"Think, Hermione; _think_," she whispered to herself furiously. "Grr! Cassilda, have you got any ideas?"

Only a soft movement was her reply.

"Okay; where could they be?" she asked aloud. "Hmm… Kingsley! Kingsley would know where they are!"

It would take too long to owl, so she had to send a Patronus. Flashbacks to the message from Harry and Ron went through her mind, but she dismissed them.

"Kingsley, please tell me where Potterwatch is broadcasting from. They have Severus."

She told the ghostly otter to make sure that no Death Eaters were around when it gave the message, and sent it on its way.

"This is kidnapping," her husband's unmistakable voice said loudly over the radio. "Do you even know what you've done?"

"Oh, we know, all right," River said, sounding far too cheerful. "And don't think that you'll be telling your master where we are. You were unconscious on the way here, and you'll be unconscious leaving."

"_If_ you leave," Rapier put in.

"After all, our listeners want some good news, right, River?" Red asked.

"Right you are, Red. What do you have to say for yourself, Rodolfo?"

"I say that you are foolish imbeciles to have pulled such a stupid stunt," Rodolfo hissed, his voice like music to Hermione's worried ears. What were they planning to do to him?

"Ah, well," Rapier said, "we can't all be brilliant like you, can we?"

"Ear, ear!" Red cried, Hermione wincing at the reference to Severus having cut off George's ear. Well, it was better than killing him, wasn't it? Surely that counted for _something_?

There were far too many questions. She wanted some answers.

_Where could they be_?

* * *

"'…have Severus'," the otter finished, and Kingsley groaned. Great. Now he'd have to risk telling a Death Eater's wife where Jordan and the Weasley twins were. Maybe he should just go there…

No. He couldn't do that. What would they listeners think? They needed hope, and Potterwatch gave them that. It was up to Hermione.

"Fine then," he said, wiping a hand over his face. He sighed, and proceeded to tell Hermione exactly where her husband would be. He only hoped that the Patronus would get there in time.

Of course, Potterwatch would have to move its headquarters, but that couldn't be helped.

* * *

There were tears streaming down Hermione's face.

"What does it feel like to kill someone, Rodolfo?" River asked, a nasty tone to his voice. "Does it make you feel good about yourself?"

"Scared to try and find out yourself?" Rodolfo sneered, and Hermione tensed. What the hell did he think he was doing?

"You want us to try it out on you?" Red asked. "I'm sure it would do our listeners good to hear a Death Eater—that's right, a _Death Eater_—getting his just desserts."

"There's no point in killing me," Rodolfo said. "It would serve no purpose. And killing is not what this station is about, I would have thought."

"This radio show is about lifting people's spirits," Rapier said. "And many people's spirits would be lifted if we made you pay for some of your crimes."

Rodolfo snorted.

"Think that's funny?" Red asked. "Ever heard of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? They have certain products that cause… discomfort. I bet your head's still hurting."

"Don't!" Rodolfo said, panic finally in his voice. Hermione's back stiffened even more.

"Coward," River muttered.

"Do not call me a coward," Rodolfo said, his voice low and dangerous. "I am concerned for the safety of my wife, as you should be, too. Anything that I feel, she feels. Right now, her head probably hurts. She may even still be out of it, if she passed out when I did. She's _pregnant_, for Merlin's sake! Have some pity on her!"

There was silence, which was broken at Hermione's end by the reappearance of her otter. She cried out in joy.

"We didn't know," Rapier said, subdued.

Hermione created a Portkey, and was at the headquarters—such as they were—of Potterwatch within moments.

"Untie him!" she shouted, running forward to the trio of kidnappers and their captive. She threw herself at her husband, burying her head in his chest to stifle her sobs.

"Uh… the password for the next broadcast of Potterwatch is… Marlene. Bye!" River said, and he ended the transmission. He, Fred, and George watched as Hermione fumbled at the ties on the chair, pulling the knots apart with her bare fingers, tears streaming down her face as she trembled. As soon as he was free, Severus stood up abruptly and pulled his wife into his arms, whispering to her softly.

"Shh," he said, stroking her back with one hand while the other was buried in her hair, holding her close. "It's all right, my love. I've got you now. It's all right. Don't cry, Hermione. Calm down. I'm safe. We're safe. They didn't hurt me. It's fine now. It's fine, darling. It's fine. Be calm now."

"Wha… what?" Fred asked, looking at the couple. "What's going on, `Mione?"

"Don't call me that," Hermione replied viciously. "You attack my husband, three-against-one, presumably unawares—there's no other way you could have taken him down—and you hold him captive to taunt him on your _radio show_? I'm ashamed of you three, and I'm sure your parents would be, too!"

"We… we didn't realise that it would hurt you," George said, reaching a hand out to pat her on the arm. Severus growled possessively at him, and all three backed off.

"Never touch my wife without her permission," he said. Lee gulped.

"Um… uh… sorry about the misunderstanding," he said eventually. "But, uh… why are you being so protective?"

"He has to be," Hermione said, trying to help Severus maintain his cover.

"Yes," he said. "My wife is pregnant with my child. Do you think I'd let any dunderheads threaten that? Stay away from us until Hermione says so otherwise, do you understand?" They nodded, and Hermione smirked against her husband's chest, still clutching onto him for dear life. "Fine. As we don't know where we are, we'll Portkey straight out of here. Pray that no Death Eaters heard that transmission."

"Y-yes, sir," they all said, stuttering in unison. Hermione activated the Portkey—one of Severus' favourite quills—and they returned to the castle.

* * *

"You're home with me," Hermione murmured as they dusted each other off unnecessarily. She turned off the radio, which she had left on in her haste to get to Severus, and replaced the quill on the desk.

"That wasn't as close a call as you might think," Severus said, shrugging. "But thank you for your concern."

"Do you think I should be rewarded… or punished?" his wife asked, smirking suggestively as she began to divest herself of her clothes.

"Both," Severus said, looking her up and down. "Oh, definitely both."

**

* * *

**

Three chapters left, which means that they'll probably be quite a length, each of them. I'm not good at fight scenes, but I'll do my best. The battle will probably be quite similar—in some aspects—as in

_**Deathly Hallows**_**, but there will be changes, naturally.**

**And what will happen with the Elder Wand, eh? Well, all shall be revealed in due time…**

**Once I've worked everything out, naturally.**


	13. Before the Battle

"Before the Battle"

It was a grand day indeed when Severus took his wife to a book fair. Of course, he didn't tell her—at the time—that it was a black market book fair. And, quite frankly, with the volume of books that were on offer, she wouldn't have cared less.

"Severus! Over here!" she called, and he ran over. She was holding up a book, a gleam in her eyes, and showed him a book. It was in Latin, but there was one Latin word in the contents list that he recognised: 'Horcrux'.

"I see," he said, and he looked at his wife. "Do you even _know_ Latin?"

"Yes," Hermione said, surprising him. She flipped to the right page, and began whispering a translation to him. "It's a potion. If a person is a horcrux, it rids them of the horcrux without harming them in any way. Well, without harming them _much_."

A few weeks before, Severus had told Hermione that Dumbledore suspected Harry to be the seventh horcrux. This horrified her, and she vowed to find a cure; and, until now, she had been unsuccessful.

"I'm so proud of my clever wife," Severus said, and he surreptitiously kissed her behind her right ear while he pretended to be reading over her shoulder. "Wait a moment. You said 'without harming them _much_'. What did you mean?"

"Well, it blocks their magic temporarily," Hermione muttered, and he raised his eyebrows.

"And you expect," he began loudly, and she shushed him.

"Let's just buy this already, Severus," she whispered, and he sighed. Nodding, he negotiated with the seller, and they settled on a reasonable price. Fortunately, the seller couldn't read Latin—not many could—so he was glad to get rid of it, though he tried not to show it.

Once they arrived back at Hogwarts, Severus continued.

"Now, say you give the potion to Potter; how is he supposed to battle the Dark Lord _without magic_?"

"If we get it to him early enough, then his powers will be back in time!" Hermione said.

"How long does it take to make the potion?" Severus asked, crossing his arms. She looked down at the book, and swallowed.

"Uh… two months," she whispered. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, let's hope that the Dark Lord doesn't intend to strike before then," he said. Her eyes lit up. "Come on, wife. Start your translation, and we'll see what we can do to help your Mr. Potter."

"Not my Mr. Potter, though," she said, looking sad for a moment. "They don't like me anymore."

"But at least… at least you have me," Severus said, scooping her into his arms. He kissed her, and then placed her back on the floor. He Summoned a quill, a bottle of ink, and a roll of parchment, and Hermione sat at her desk and began writing out the translation. She consulted her Latin dictionary to double-check everything.

"Well, that's good," she said, pleased with herself. "I was actually right on all counts anyway. I didn't need the dictionary."

"Was there ever any doubt about your abilities?" her husband asked, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

While Severus read over the list of ingredients, Hermione tried to remember which book a particular spell was in. A spell that transferred a person's powers into another person…

* * *

They began on the potion as soon as possible, praying that they'd have enough time to finish it before the Dark Lord made a move. The plan was to slip some to Nagini—though neither knew how that could be done—and to give some to Harry, even if they had to slip it to him as well.

Hermione went to do some 'recreational reading' in the library one afternoon while Severus was busy looking over the monthly detention reports. Thankfully, the soldiers of Snape's Army had refrained from getting into trouble as much as they had been.

It seemed that the 'mass detention' had done the trick.

But Hermione's 'recreational reading' was her research into the spell to transfer her powers to Harry after he had the potion, just in case they needed to administer it to him just before battle. There was no telling how long his powers would be blocked, as it varied from person to person.

As there was no way to test the spell, Hermione just memorised it as best she could, and even made notes to study when she could get away from Severus. In this case, no counter-charm was needed, because as soon as Harry's own powers came back, Hermione's would revert back to her.

Lord Voldemort kept Severus busier and busier; few Death Eaters wanted to do the paperwork—yes, paperwork—that needed to be done. As Severus' role was, at the moment, far less active than before, he was having to deal with what the others didn't want to do. So, with the extra time on her hands, Hermione began to research something which had peaked her interest.

In conversation with the late headmaster, Dumbledore had told her the legend of the Three Brothers, and the objects known as the Deathly Hallows. Intrigued, she talked over it with him while Severus was overseeing detentions one evening, and realised that Harry's Invisibility Cloak might very well be a Deathly Hallow.

Did that mean that the Elder Wand existed?

When she pressed Dumbledore on this point, he admitted that his wand was the Elder Wand, and she was horrified when she put two and two together. Voldemort broken into Dumbledore's tomb not so long ago, and taken…

"So, now that he has your wand, he really will win," she said hollowly, crossing her arms as a tear coursed down her right cheek. Now their little Cassilda may have no chance at a nice, normal life.

"Not necessarily, Mrs. Snape," Dumbledore said. "I have a theory." She looked up, and raised an eyebrow, just like her husband. "My theory is that the power belongs to the wizard itself. After all, wands are only instruments of magic. The real magic resides within."

"True," Hermione said, nodding slowly.

"I wanted to make sure that Severus would have the power of the Wand," he continued, and Hermione paled.

"But if… if _he_ finds out, then he'll… he'll _kill_ Severus!" she cried out, jumping to her feet in anguish. "Oh, Professor, how _could_ you?"

"The Greater Good, my dear," he said gently, and she sent him a deathly look of her own.

"Uh huh," she said, and Dumbledore gulped, suddenly very afraid of Severus Snape's young wife.

"Now, it may be that something could have happened along the way," he said, tripping over his words a little. "I thought you might find it interesting to research the Elder Wand. See what you can do to help your husband."

"Hmm," Hermione said, scrunching up her shoulders as she tightened her folded arms.

That was what had led to her research.

* * *

The Elder Wand chose its master. Severus was certainly the most likely current master; he had killed Dumbledore, after all, which was one of the few ways to gain mastery of the Wand. Certainly, Draco could have gained the Wand's loyalty; but from the practice duelling during the Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, Hermione had certainly beat him every time, which meant that he certainly couldn't have the power.

But what shocked her the most was one legend about the Wand that she found: the power of the wand could be transferred through true love.

Well, it was logical enough. The Elder Wand was neither good nor evil; if its power could be gained through murder, it could certainly be gained through love.

And she _had_ been beating everyone at duelling recently…

"_I've_ got the power of the Elder Wand," she whispered hoarsely, furiously thinking over what it could possibly mean in the long run.

* * *

Severus gave her some good news the next moment that they had alone together. Phineas Nigellus had told him that Potter and Weasley had finally destroyed the locket, the cup, and the ring. By his calculation, with the diary horcrux already destroyed, that only left three horcruxes: Harry, Nagini, and something belonging to Ravenclaw.

Hermione pondered over what this object could be. Before breakfast the next day she sought out Luna.

"Luna?" she whispered, sitting on the Ravenclaws' bench next to her friend, back to the table.

"Yes, Hermione?" Luna replied dreamily, playing with a bit of tomato.

"Can you think of anything, any particular possession, belonging to Rowena Ravenclaw? Something that exists, I mean?"

"Hmm," the younger girl said. She thought. Turning to the others who were listening, she said, "Anyone have any ideas?"

"There's always that tiara she used to wear!" Ernie called from a few seats down. Hermione winced, and waved her hand downwards so that he'd lower his voice.

"What tiara?" she asked.

"A diadem," Luna said. "She used to wear one, and then it was kidnapped by Green-Eyed Ferebelles."

"No, they weren't," another Ravenclaw said, shaking his head. They were clearly all used to, and amused by, Luna's 'delusions'. "She lost it."

"It was stolen!" someone else said, and a debate broke out. Hermione hushed them, not wanting the Slytherins at the next table to get suspicious.

"Look, just have your breakfast, go to your classes, and then continue your debate in your common room tonight," she said, standing. With a sigh, she started to leave.

"Hermione," Padma Patil said, grabbing Hermione's arm before she could pass by.

"Yes, Padma?"

"Ask… ask the Grey Lady," she said. "She may know something, being the Ravenclaw ghost."

"Thank you," Hermione said, smiling.

* * *

The Grey Lady, who turned out to the Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena, told Hermione that she had stolen the diadem, and hidden it in Albania.

"Albania?" Hermione exclaimed. Then Lord Voldemort may have come across it in his travels. Where could it be?

"I'm sorry I'm unable to help you more," the Grey Lady said sadly, noticing Hermione's sudden silence.

"I don't suppose you could describe it for me?" Hermione asked before she could float away.

"There's a painting on the seventh floor which has the diadem in it," the ghost said.

"Thank you!" Hermione said, and she hurried upstairs… well, as much as she could hurry at nearly six months pregnant.

* * *

As she passed the Room of Requirement, she suddenly realised what a maze the seventh floor actually was. Indecisive, she walked back in the direction she had come from, before backtracking. She definitely hadn't seen it as she walked along.

A door appeared, and she paused.

"Funny," she murmured. Opening the door, she saw the same room that Harry must have thrown the Half-Blood Prince's book away in. "Well, I'll fetch it for Severus. I'm sure he'd like to see it again," she decided out loud.

She entered the room, and began to search, intrigued by all the things she saw as she passed by. An old candelabra bent out of shape, old scraps of parchment covered with ink stains, Ravenclaw's diadem, a rickety table, that crystal ball from her third…

Huh?

* * *

Harry and Ron were making their way to Hogwarts, after having been successful so far, when a silver otter approached them. Hermione's voice gave them a message that they could hardly believe.

"I found the fifth horcrux, Ravenclaw's diadem, and destroyed it with the Basilisk fang that we kept here just in case. See you when you get to Hogwarts. Your friend always, Hermione."

**

* * *

**

Only two chapters left. I'll try to get them done quickly, but well. I don't want you to have to wait too long, but nor do I want to disappoint you. Thank you for all your support along the way. I hope this chapter wasn't too long.

**Green-Eyed Ferebelles were my own invention. I don't like to make up too many things in another person's universe, but had the urge to use something original.**

**So there it is. **

**Arabella Lee Smith—I'm glad someone else has heard of **_**The Merry Widow**_**.**

**Artemis Decibal—I think the idea is that Potterwatch will have now told all the listeners that if Severus is hurt, Hermione will be hurt, too. I like to think so, at any rate.**


	14. Victory or Defeat

"Victory or Defeat"

"Go."

"No."

"_Go_."

"_No_!"

"Hermione…"

"So help me, Severus Snape, I'm not leaving."

"But you'll be in danger here…"

"I'll be in danger anyway if you're in battle!"

Severus sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "You shouldn't be duelling. You're six months pregnant."

"I have to give Harry his potion," Hermione insisted, stamping her right foot for emphasis. "I said I'd never leave you, and I'm not going to start now."

"You insufferable, argumentative…"

"Stubborn, asinine…"

"Professor Snape!" Neville yelled, running into the dungeons. "Sir! They're on their way! Harry's Patronus just told me that they're nearing Hogwarts."

"Great!" Hermione exclaimed, following him out of the room. Severus threw his hands into the air, and ran after them.

"Slow down, Hermione," he said, grabbing onto her arm to slow her. She looked up at him.

"I'll always love you, Severus," she said. She took his head in her hands, and kissed him. Neville politely looked away, and saw Snape's Army running down the stairs to the Entrance Hall.

"We've already flooed the Order of the Phoenix," a voice said. It was Minerva, who was also running down the stairs, followed by the rest of the staff. "Poppy has the infirmary on stand-by. What are you doing here, headmaster?"

"This is my school," he said, his eyes boring into hers. "You'll need me here to protect it as much as possible."

"Why aren't you with your master?" Flitwick asked, as seventh year after seventh year pounded down the stairs. There was a smattering of sixth years as well, and Colin was trying to convince Dennis to leave.

"Dennis?" Severus said loudly, and the younger Creevey looked at him.

"Sir?" he said.

"It's up to you to protect the younger students," he said. "Take them to the Hog's Head through the floo in my office. The password is," he smirked, "Snape's Army."

"Yes, sir," Dennis said, and he saluted the headmaster with a grin. Hugging his brother quickly, he ran up the stairs, and the people who didn't know the truth about Severus' alliance looked baffled.

Fawkes flew into the room before anyone could speak, and he landed on Severus' shoulder.

"Are Potter and Weasley outside?" he murmured, and the phoenix nodded.

"Brilliant," Hermione said, smiling. She pulled out the vial of Horcrux-Removal Potion, and nodded to Severus before she hurried outside.

"Hermione!" he yelled, and he followed her out. Neville explained to everyone else that the headmaster was on their side, and had been training them to fight against Lord Voldemort, so that they wouldn't fight him during the battle.

"They're over here!" Hermione called to her husband, and he squinted. Sure enough, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were making their way up the slope.

"Hello," Harry said to Hermione, and he glared at Severus, who rolled his eyes.

"Harry, Professor Dumbledore thinks that you may be the seventh horcrux," Hermione blurted out. "Please. You have to take this potion. It will get rid of the piece of soul in you."

"View these memories if you don't believe me," Severus said, and he pulled out an empty potion vial. Ron looked at Hermione's pregnant belly, and snorted, while her husband drew out the silver memories, and placed them in the container. He handed it to Harry.

"Go to my office; you'll probably find that it's open," he said, and Harry looked at Hermione.

"Please," she begged. "Harry, trust me. On our former friendship, I swear that you _have _to believe me. View the memories, and come straight back to me. I'll be down in the Entrance Hall." All the while, the four of them were striding back up to the school, and the boys were soon engulfed on all sides by their friends.

Severus grabbed his arm, and looked up. Climbing the hill to the school were the Death Eaters, following the Dark Lord. The headmaster of Hogwarts narrowed his eyes, made sure that everyone was inside, and shut the door. He started warding it.

"We need as many people as possible to be here before we begin," he said by way of explanation. "Hermione, stay out of trouble as much as possible. You're vulnerable at the moment."

You have no idea, she thought. Harry had already gone upstairs to view the memories. As soon as he came back and drank the potion, she would have to give him her powers, and then she really _would_ have to leave the battle. Leave, or be killed. As simple as that.

* * *

By now, everyone who could possibly fight was there, including enchanted armour, which reminded Hermione of _Bedknobs and Broomsticks_. The ghosts and Peeves were ready to help in any way that they could, and Severus was ready to bring down the wards, consequently starting the battle.

"Remember; shields first!" he stage-whispered. He relieved the wards, and the doors were forced open. Shields went up immediately, and the battle began.

"Hermione!" Harry called, running down the stairs. He fought a few Death Eaters on the way down, but they had been told not to kill him, as he was for the Dark Lord.

By now, Severus' loyalties were clear. He had already taken out a large number of Death Eaters, and Voldemort had noticed this. He began to clear a path to the spy to kill him, and Hermione, turning her head at Harry's call, noticed this.

"Severus!" she cried, pointing. He quickly despatched Dolohov, and turned to meet his former master.

"I am disappointed in you, Severus," he began, while Harry pushed his way through the fighters to get to Hermione, who was watching the scene, terrified.

"The potion," he whispered, and she focussed enough to hand over the correct vial. He downed it, and felt something strange.

"What's happened?" he asked, and Hermione once again turned her attention to him.

"It's… it's put a temporary block on your power," she said quietly, and he looked at her, furious.

"What the hell are you playing at?" he said, just about ready to panic.

"Quiet, and stand still!" she hissed back. Murmuring a few words, she waved her wand over him, and he felt the strange feeling disappear.

"What was that?"

"You've got my powers until your own return," she said, a tear slipping down her cheek. He looked at her, gobsmacked, and was about to throw his arms around her in gratitude when she darted forward and stood in front of Severus.

"You foolish woman," her husband said, grabbing her arms. "Get out of here, now."

"The traitor's wife will die, too," Voldemort said. Nagini was near him, undulating, and he waved his hand. The Lestrange brothers grabbed Hermione's arms, while the senior Crabbe and Goyle held Severus' arms, holding him in place. Hermione was thrown towards a wall, and she used her hands to stop herself from bouncing into the wall. Nagini slithered towards her.

"Oh, Merlin," she whispered hoarsely, only vaguely hearing Severus' yells. "Help me."

A green flash of light distracted everyone. Bellatrix Lestrange was lying on the ground, dead, and Neville was looking down at her body coolly.

"For my parents," he said. Hermione smiled sadly. She was immediately distracted by Fawkes, who had brought her the Sorting Hat.

"The hat…" she said, remembering Harry's second year, and she reached in. To her relief, she pulled out the sword of Gryffindor.

"Hermione!" Severus cried, and she looked up in time to see Nagini's head rearing up. With a wide slice through the air, Hermione brought the blade right through the snake's neck, and the last horcrux died.

"Done," she said, and she looked Harry directly in the eyes.

* * *

No one was ever sure what happened next. Severus Snape found the strength to wrench himself from Crabbe and Goyle's arms, Harry Potter darted forward to fight the Dark Lord, Hermione Snape ran into her husband's arms, and the battle continued.

With the extra training in Legillimancy that Snape's Army had had, the only people to fall were Death Eaters and other traitors to the light. Hermione, using her own Legillimancy, was able to warn people of attacks. It seemed that at least those powers still remained.

"I no longer care whether your wife lives or dies," Voldemort told Severus, who was battling Fenrir Greyback nearby. "A traitor's child is of no use to me. I will have to take Miss Weasley after all, and have her bear my child."

"What?" Ginny said, and everyone stopped fighting. Using the distraction, the Aurors captured the last Death Eaters without anyone noticing.

"Why do you think she married Severus?" Voldemort said. "To bear a child. She thought that by doing so she could save you from _me_. Ha!"

"Look around, Tom," Harry said suddenly, fury coursing through his veins. There was no way Voldemort would win, so Ginny was safe; but the fact that things could have turned out differently infuriated and frightened him. "You're the last one."

"If I kill you, victory won't matter to anyone," Voldemort said, grinning evilly.

"You've got the power of the Elder Wand, Harry," Hermione said quietly from behind him. "He cannot defeat you."

"Brilliant," Harry whispered back. Voldemort raised his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Stupefy!"

The Killing Curse rebounded, and the Dark Lord fell to the ground with the green flash of light. He was dead… and they could all relax.

"Finally," Severus said, smirking, and Hermione bounded into his arms.

"We're free!" she said. "Cassilda will be raised properly. She won't have to be… she won't have to…"

"I know," he murmured, stroking her back. "It's all right, darling. We've won."

"How much longer have I got?" Harry asked. "Before my powers come back, and you can get yours back?"

Severus lowered Hermione to the floor, and raised an eyebrow at her.

"W-well," she said, trying to avoid her husband's eyes, "it varies from person to person."

"You're pregnant," Severus said slowly, "and you gave away your powers."

"He needed them…"

"Here," he said, and he performed the same spell on her. The look she was giving him was one of complete and utter adoration. "I'm a Potions Master. I can brew potions without magic."

"It probably won't be long," Hermione said, and Severus tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Indeed. Now kiss me, wife."

"Yes, Severus."

**

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Wow. That was actually shorter than I thought it was going to be, judging by my plot notes. Hmm. I'm no good at writing action, so I hope it wasn't too stilted. Let me know, anyway. I live to please (and write).

**One chapter left, folks! Thank you for your support along the way. I've been flattered, elated, **_**overjoyed**_** by all the reviews you've given me, and I'm so glad that I've given you some small amount of entertainment.**


	15. The Trial of Severus Snape

"The Trial of Severus Snape"

The courtroom was more crowded during the trial of Hermione's husband than it had been at any of the other trials. He was placed under 'house arrest' at Hogwarts, since his loyalties were clear, and just needed to be made official in the eyes of the Ministry of Magic.

Because there were so many other trials, his had been delayed until August. He and Hermione were let out of Hogwarts to go away overnight for their first wedding anniversary, since they hadn't had a honeymoon the first time around. They had a wonderful time, even though Cassilda's due date was so near.

Mrs. Snape was a huge bundle of nerves while she watched Severus sitting in the middle of the courtroom, strapped to the chair that had seated so many other Death Eaters in recent weeks. It had been three months since the battle. Azkaban was bordering on full; but Severus was the last Death Eater to be tried, and some of the prisoners were simply awaiting execution.

Over a decade and a half of murder, torture, kidnapping, rape, as well as being partly responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter, were read out. Tears trailed down Hermione's cheeks while she and Severus just looked at each other. There was love coursing between them, shining from their eyes. Hermione stroked her belly fondly.

Harry gave evidence based on the memories that Severus had given him. Teachers and students gave evidence in Severus' favour as well, based on the fact that he had fought on their side during the battle, saving many lives. Members of the Order told of the information he risked his life to get for them since he changed sides and became their spy.

Finally, it was Hermione's turn to give evidence; she was the last. Shortly after the battle had finished, Harry's powers had come back, returning Hermione's powers to her; and then, naturally, Severus' powers came back to him, which meant that he was able to help heal the injured people who fought against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

"Hermione Jean Snape, you are testifying for your husband?" Kingsley said. He was leading the proceedings.

"Yes, Auror Shacklebolt," Hermione said, smiling at Severus. He gave her a small smile back, and her heart leapt as it always did. Suddenly, she frowned slightly as she felt something she really could have done without feeling.

"Well, proceed," Kingsley said. Only Severus had noticed anything wrong, and he felt a twinge in his stomach. Hermione winced before giving testimony.

"I gave information to Minerva McGonagall about Death Eater activities, information that Severus Snape gave me specifically to tell the Order of the Phoenix. He also assisted me in…" She paused, her feet squelching in her now-wet shoes, as she felt another mild contraction. Damn, damn, damn, damn, _damn_! Of all the times. "He assisted me in re-forming a secret organisation, originally called Dumbledore's Army, which comprised of students learning to fight for the side of the Light. He helped me train them in Legillimancy and Occlumency so that they could fight better, and also helped teach them various other methods of offence and defence."

"Hermione," Severus said, the name barely a breath. She had to hurry. The stress had sent her into labour. The baby wasn't due until the next day, damn it!

"In conversation with the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, I learnt about the plot between the two of them for Severus Snape to save Draco Malfoy from committing murder. The plan was for Severus Snape to end Albus Dumbledore's l-life…" Were contractions supposed to come this quickly? And for a first pregnancy? "He was already dying from an injury to the hand.

"Severus Snape was also able to return my wand to me, which had been taken when I was kidnapped on Tottenham Court Road. Without my wand, I would not have been able to fight in the battle at Hogwarts, even though I eventually relinquished my powers to aid Harry Potter in defeating Lord Voldemort."

She realised what some of the pangs were. Severus was worried about her, and she could physically feel the worry. She wondered if a similar thing happened to him whenever she was upset, and felt terrible about it. He had never mentioned anything.

Stilted though it was, Hermione finished giving her testimony, and performed a silent Scourgify on the floor of the stand, as well as a Drying Charm on her own clothes before stepping out to return to the crowd. Severus watched her all the way back to her seat, and raised an eyebrow at her when she finally looked back down at him. She smiled to show that she was all right, and he sighed in relief.

Finally, Kingsley did the sensible—the _only_—thing that he could, and cleared Severus of all charges, on the proviso that he return to Hogwarts to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts, while his wife taught Muggle Studies. Severus smiled at this, and was released from the chair's bonds. Hermione leapt to her feet—well, as much as a pregnant woman can leap—and hurried down to him. They threw their arms around each other, relieved that they could get on with their lives, before another, far more painful, contraction struck. Her knees buckled, and Severus held onto her more tightly.

"I'm getting you to Hogwarts," he said quietly; and, to everyone else's surprise, he Apparated her away without explanation.

* * *

"Push!"

"I'm bloody well pushing, Severus! _You_ try giving birth!"

"It's all right, my love. I'm right here. Hold my h-ha-hand." He was in pain as well, because of the marriage contract, but he had been trying to ignore those pangs for a good number of hours now. First, the contractions had worsened; and then the labour commenced. He was wondering why the hell Molly Weasley had consented to, had _wanted_, so many children.

Well, if ever any man ever had the temerity to suggest that labour didn't actually hurt, that it was all psychological… he could say that, from personal experience, it hurt like hell.

"It's nice to see a man feeling the pain as well," Madame Pomfrey remarked. They had opted for her to be the midwife, and she was happy to oblige. After the injuries they had had to heal after the war ended, it was lovely to have such a positive experience in the Hogwarts Infirmary. She had caught on seconds after they had left the courtroom, and flooed to the hospital wing.

"I wouldn't recommend putting that proviso in a marriage contract," he said through clenched teeth. "The population would fall dramatically…"

"Nearly there, Mrs. Snape!" Madame Pomfrey said, interrupting him as Hermione neared the end. "One more push."

"One more push, Hermione darling," Severus whispered, stroking her sweat-soaked forehead with his free hand.

"Fine!" Hermione snapped, and she obliged.

* * *

Cassilda Hermione Snape was born at five minutes past three in the morning, August the fourth, 1998. Her home was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She met her grandparents three years later, once they had been found, and had forgiven Hermione for adjusting their memories and banishing them overseas.

Her hair was wavy, and a very dark brown. Her eyes were black, just like her father's, but she had her mother's delicate nose. She was very intelligent, and loved books, as well as brewing potions, much to her honorary-Uncle Horace's delight. She had several honorary aunts and uncles at Hogwarts, and loved them dearly. She couldn't wait for the day she could call them all professors, though…

_

* * *

_

September 1

_st__, 2009_

"Cassilda Snape," Severus said. He was deputy-headmaster, and Minerva McGonagall was still headmistress. He suppressed a smile at his well-behaved daughter taking her seat on the stool. The Sorting Hat didn't take long to decide.

"RAVENCLAW!" it proclaimed, and Severus smiled. So. He and Hermione had been right. Cassilda skipped over to the Ravenclaw table, and sat nearest to the staff so that she could still be near her family, even if she would now be sleeping in Ravenclaw tower instead of her parents' rooms.

While Minerva did her Start of Term speech, Hermione and Severus held hands under the table, tracing patterns on each other's skin. They had been hoping for Ravenclaw; Hermione didn't want Severus to feel hurt if Cassilda was in Gryffindor; and Severus felt the same way about her. Also, he didn't want his daughter associating with the 'wrong sort of people', which she would undoubtedly encounter if she were in Slytherin.

Yes. Ravenclaw was the best for their brilliant daughter.

Anyway. They had two other children so far—Hilarion Severus and Aline Minerva—and a fourth child on the way. No one knew about the little boy yet. They were thinking of naming him Marco. Marco Albus Snape.

"We were right," Severus whispered to Hermione, who nodded. "Ravenclaw."

"Wouldn't it be funny if we had one child in each house?" she said, and he smirked.

"I think this warrants a reward when we get back to our rooms, don't you?" he asked her, his breath tickling her ear, and Hermione shivered. Oh yes. A reward sounded _very_ nice indeed.

THE END.

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Hilarion is a character from _**Princess Ida**_**, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Remember how Cassilda is from **_**The Gondoliers**_**? Aline is a character in **_**The Sorceror**_**, which was by G&S as well. And guess what? Marco is a character from **_**The Gondoliers**_** by—you guessed it!—G&S.**

**However, Marco is **_**also**_** a character from **_**La Boheme**_**, which has been referred to twice in this fiction. He and Rodolfo—remember Rodolfo?—are flatmates in **_**La Boheme**_**.**

**I hope you've enjoyed this literary and cultural journey, and taken something positive away from it. I don't think I've had any **_**really**_** negative reviews, so I'm quite content.**

**And I apologise if the pregnancy wasn't realistic enough. I've never been pregnant, so… yes. I'm hardly writing this from experience, you know!**

**Until my next story… farewell!**


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